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What is the likelihood that there would be a cure for schizophrenia in the next 20 years?

Kristin Bell asked in Questionland University about 1 year ago | Report
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  • Adrienne_2009_small
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    adrienne

    While it’s very difficult to make predictions about scientific progress on the timescale of 20 years—given that occasional breakthroughs happen randomly that can change the whole game—I think the consensus is that a cure for schizophrenia is pretty far away. Schizophrenia is a very hard case. There is no clear phenotype, it encompasses a range of symptoms that aren’t very easily connected, there is no specific gene that seems to be responsible. There is also no good “animal model”, a similar syndrome in animals that would allow one to make detailed studies of the function of the brain. Because it is threatens a wide range of cognitive functions, making progress with schizophrenia needs us to be a lot further along with a deep understanding of the workings of the brain that we currently are.

    While that view might sound pessimistic, there are always new findings that gradually put pieces into the puzzle. It is known, for instance, that gamma waves, a brain oscillation that increases during attention, are disrupted in schizophrenics. Noone really knows at the moment what gamma waves are telling us about the workings of the brain, but people are developing a range of theories that try to account for these waves and to understand their role in healthy brain function.
    Recently there has been a very exciting development that allows us to change the activity of different neurons in the brain using light. At least in animals this lets us disrupt or drive different parts of the brain circuitry and try to figure out mechanisms for various brain functions, including gamma waves. Hopefully bit by bit we will put it all together.

    adrienne answered in Questionland University about 1 year ago | Report
    4 comments by Peter F, adrienne, and "Cagey"…
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  • Happyfoxsq_small
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    Kitts

    Adrienne's answer is basically right, but I wanted to add a couple of things. First, this answer is basically true for most, if not all, mental illness. We just don't know enough about they work. Unlike a lot of things, people's brains are very individual, so that an anti-depressant that works for one person may not work as well for another. Even for illnesses like bipolar disorder, where we can see physical differences in the brain between someone with the illness and someone without it, treatment is still a matter of trial and error.

    On the positive side, while there probably won't be a cure anytime soon, there are new antipsychotics and other drugs coming out all the time, and while it's easy to get mad at the drug companies for rushing out these incredibly expensive drugs, some of them are very promising. A lot of the newer ones have lower side effects (less dramatic weight gain, lowered risk of tremors and a lot less of that "zombie" feeling) and at the same time are more effective. I have a some friends and family for whom the newer antipsychotics have been life-changing. So there probably won't be a cure in 20 years, but it's entirely possible that 20 years from now schizophrenia will be more of a managed illness that, while still not great, allows people with it to lead whatever life they want. There's also been experiments with things like biofeedback and sound waves, some of which triggers my skeptic alarms, but some of which are showing encouraging results, albeit in small samples.

    And really, do we want a cure? I don't have schizophrenia, but I do have ADHD and depression, if there was an operation or a drug that permanently changed my brain forever, I'm not sure I would take it. I am generally pro-medication for serious mental illness, but I would be pretty skeptical of anything permanent, and hesitant to let it near my brain.

    Kitts answered in Questionland University about 1 year ago | Report
    3 comments by Valkyrie, Kitts, and Rev.Enant…
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  • Doorbells_002_small
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    I believe there are several drugs that are used to treat or control schizophrenic behavior... but "cure" is too strong a word, as others have illuminated here.

    ALL drugs have size effects, whether weigh gain, tremmors, sluggishness, or something else.

    However, many people with schizophrenic behaviors can conduct themselves in a manner so that they have a "normal life" through use of these medications. They aren't cured, just under control.

    If they go off the medication, their symptoms return.

    "Cagey" answered in Questionland University about 1 year ago | Report
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  • Sacri_ordines_by_charism_small
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    Being a realist about it, I think there's 99% likelihood that some pharmacorporation will sell a pill that will a) claim to offer a 90+% cure and b) have a list of side effects that -JUST- happen to be problems that their other drugs can address individually. For a pretty penny, no doubt. But I'm not sure it'll be a real longterm cure. :(

    As far as a real cure, I have optimistic hope that cell/DNA research will reveal much more in the way of cures than any IV chemical or pill.

    Rev.Enant answered in Questionland University about 1 year ago | Report
    2 comments by Qland Char and Rev.Enant…
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