WSJ: Researchers Probe for Viral Link to Mental Illness

[question everything]

Researchers Probe for Viral Link to Mental Illness

Studies Examine Whether Bacteria Cause Disorders Such as Autism, Depression

By HEATHER WON TESORIERO
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
March 29, 2005; Page D4

Can viruses cause mental illness?

A growing number of studies are testing theories that viruses and other infectious agents may underlie some cases of psychiatric illnesses. The theory is that viruses and bacteria assaulting the immune system could also end up affecting the brain in such disorders as autism, depression and eating disorders.

Once considered marginal, this kind of research is gaining more acceptance in the wider scientific community.

Perhaps the greatest strides in this area of research are those linking obsessive-compulsive disorder and bacterial infections. Susan Swedo, a researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health, documented the sudden onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder or Tourette's syndrome in some children who got strep throat. Dr. Swedo, who has numerous studies under way, coined the term PANDAS, or pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections.

In her working model, strep antibodies mistakenly attack the basal ganglia, the part of the brain responsible for helping to coordinate and control movements. She recommends testing for strep antibodies in children with sudden onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder or tic disorders. Some doctors are treating children who test positive with antibiotics. One government-sponsored study is under way to see if antibiotics can be proven effective when used prophylactically to prevent recurrences of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Psychiatrist and epidemiologist Alan S. Brown, at Columbia University in New York, is exploring a longstanding theory that links flu during pregnancy with schizophrenia in the mother's offspring. A study led by Dr. Brown and published last year examined blood samples from mothers of 64 people with schizophrenia or related disorders, and samples from mothers of 125 "controls," or patients without schizophrenia. The study, done in conjuction with the health maintenance organization Kaiser Permanente, asserted that the findings were "evidence that prenatal influenza plays a role in schizophrenia," and suggest that up to 14% of schizophrenia cases wouldn't have occurred had the pregnant mother not had the flu.

(snip)

Write to Heather Won Tesoriero at [e-mail]

URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111204806304291201,00.html

[meg]

1. Other links besides WSJ

BBC
USA Today

[sharonking21]

2. Interesting post

I find this kind of thing extremely interesting. I'm a retired epidemiologist. My gut feeling, based on some knowledge of autoimmune disorders, is that there will eventually prove to be links between infectious diseases, one's immune response, and neurological disorders.

That doesn't mean that I think all hypotheses will turn out to be true, by any means, but it has enough plausibility that each strong correlation should be further investigated to see if it can be replicated then, if reliably replicated, causal mechanisms should be investigated.

For example, in the case of the flu-schizophrenia link, we would have to find out just what part (or the whole) of the virus or what product of the immune system was getting through two barriers (placental and brain-blood barrier of the fetus).

All kinds of questions remain, but it is exciting work.

Incidentally, for those of you interested in infectious diseases, epidemics etc, I have posted a list of books on such topics that are meant for the general reader:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=209x1562

It is meant as a resource for those of us interested in such things and I also invite comments or additions to the list.