Skip to content Skip to navigation menu 15 November 2011 Genetic
mutations that cause schizophrenia could be linked to systems in
the brain responsible for learning and memory, a study suggests.
Researchers from Cardiff University and the University of
Edinburgh have identified changes to genes – genetic mutations –
in patients with schizophrenia who had not inherited the
condition. The study, published in the journal Molecular
Psychiatry, showed that these mutations occurred among a set of
proteins that play a key role in memory function. The scientists
took samples of DNA from more than 650 patients with
schizophrenia and compared these with DNA from their parents –
who did not have the condition – to identify the genetic
differences. Professor Michael Owen of Cardiff University, who
led the research with colleague Professor Michael O’Donovan,
said: "By studying such a large sample we have been able to
provide the first clear insights into the sorts of basic
biological processes that underlie schizophrenia.