A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggests that a specific gene mutation prevents patients with schizophrenia from updating their understanding of reality.
Researchers found that the GRIN2A gene mutation prevents people from making decisions and updating their beliefs, showing new ways to understand cognitive symptoms and develop treatments.
Schizophrenia is known to have a strong genetic link, affecting approximately 1% of the population. The risk of this condition increases significantly among close relatives. Scientists have identified more than 100 gene variants linked to the condition, but many are still poorly understood.
The researchers in this study examined the Grin2a gene, which functions as a signaling component for the brain. The researchers used multiple genetic samples to show that mutations in this gene increase the risk of schizophrenia.
How does gene mutation affect the brain?
The Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, appoints Guoping Feng as professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences for studying the mutation that disrupts essential brain circuits that perform new information processing tasks.
The brain experiences difficulties when it needs to change existing beliefs through new information input from external sources.
Feng described the circuit as a system that allows us to update our understanding of reality. When the system does not work correctly, people begin to depend on their existing beliefs, causing them to lose touch with actual events.
The researchers conducted experiments on mice with the mutation to investigate how it affected their behavior. The animals showed decision-making skills that were both slower and less effective compared to the standard performance of normal mice. The participants kept switching between different choices rather than deciding on the best choice to make when circumstances changed.
The research showed that schizophrenia patients exhibit cognitive problems that affect their ability to understand new information.
The study identified the mediodorsal thalamus, a brain region connected to the prefrontal cortex, as central to this problem. The researchers achieved behavioral improvements in mice by activating this circuit using light-based techniques.
The study results indicate that the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia can be treated through pathway-based treatment approaches. The mutation affects a small number of patients, but scientists believe that in most cases the same brain circuit contributes to the development of the condition.
