Pondering Schizophrenia, Maternal Health, and the Placenta with Daniel Weinberger

Schizophrenia is an unusual brain disorder in that its dramatic symptom of psychosis (delusions and hallucinations) occurs seemingly spontaneously in young adults between the ages of 18 and 30. Alterations in dopaminergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic neurons are implicated in schizophrenia and drugs that inhibit dopamine receptors are prescribed for patients. In this episode Professor Daniel Weinberger, Director of the Lieber Institute at Johns Hopkins University, talks about the importance of genetics, the environment of the developing fetus in the mother’s womb, and the placenta in determining whether or not a person develops schizophrenia. Collectively, the discoveries of Dr. Weinberger and others suggest that avoiding infections and maintaining a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy may reduce the risk of a child developing schizophrenia.

 

Links:

Lieber Institute:  https://www.libd.org/

Review articles on schizophrenia:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7666011/pdf/nihms-1589556.pdf

file:///Users/markmattson/Downloads/nrn.2017.125%20(1).pdf

https://www-annualreviews-org.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081219-103805

Schizophrenia risk genes:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10104472/pdf/sciadv.ade2812.pdf

Placenta and schizophrenia:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10185564/pdf/41467_2023_Article_38140.pdf