Doctors have long been puzzled by a statistical link between schizophrenia and birth complications. Now Canadian researchers, who observed the progress of baby rats born by Caesarean section, think they may have the answer - hormones. Differences Their findings were presented at a meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Los Angeles, and were published in New Scientist magazine. Although the Caesarean rats seemed normal at birth, the researchers discovered differences between them and vaginal-birth rats. For example, they observed differences in the dopamine system of the Caesarean rats when compared to the others.
Dopamine is a hormone-like substance that facilitates critical brain functions.
An overactive dopamine system has been linked to schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease since the 1970s. Amphetamines activate the dopamine system. When given them, the Caesarean rats were much more active than the others. The Caesarean rats also showed slower reaction times when their tails were pinched. Hormones Dr Patricia Boksa carried out the study with Dr Bassem El-Khodor at McGill University in Montreal.