Scientists in Finland have reported that nutrition can play a part in the development of schizophrenia. The report, published in Archives of General Psychiatry , looked at a group of over 7000 people born between 1924 and 1933 and compared measurements for birth weight, height and placental weight throughout childhood and adolescence. The findings suggest that under-nutrition in pregnancy could affect the growing child and play a part in the onset of schizophrenia later in life. The authors of the report have reiterated the importance of good quality prenatal care and education and the importance of early medical checks for child development.
Researchers claim that exercise can have a beneficial influence on people suffering from depression.
In a report in the Journal of Ageing and Physical Activity , scientists randomly assigned people with a major depressive disorder to either 4 months of aerobic exercise or 4 months of antidepressant medication. They found that 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week, gave the same results as the antidepressant treatment leading the researchers to believe that exercise could be as effective as medication in the treatment of depression. However, the group from North Carolina acknowledge that further research will be needed before any major conclusions can be made about the usefulness of exercise. Scientists in Israel have found small changes in the blood of people with schizophrenia which they claim could form the basis of a new blood test for the condition. The study, which appeared in the January edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , compared dopamine receptors on the surface of white blood cells in healthy individuals, and those diagnosed with schizophrenia.