Adolescent psychosis? It’s written in the genes

There would be genetic factors underlying forms of adolescent psychosis. This was revealed during an interview with the Genomic Press Report by Carrie E. Bearden, professor of psychiatry, biobehavioral sciences and psychology at the Center for Assessment and Prevention of Prodromal States (CAPPS) at UCLA.

These transformative insights into the neurobiology of psychosis risk in young people, emerging from genetic studies conducted by the researcher, could bring important new insights into brain development processes and the possible impact on mental health in adolescents. The research, published in Genomic Psychiatry, is based on the composite study of population cohorts classically defined as high risk and on investigations of genetic conditions that could predispose to the potential development of the pathology; this approach strategy would have provided crucial information on theonsets of psychosis at crucial stages of lifeincluding adolescence. The aim of the study was to identify early warning signs, then develop targeted and timely interventions, before they evolve into serious symptoms.

The research fits into a context of personalized medicine, based on information regarding cellular and molecular phenotypes of neurons in subjects with genetic variants and specific neurobehavioral characteristics. The research also investigated sleep patterns, a factor that is still little understood, yet essential for the health and well-being of the entire organism and which undergoes substantial changes in adolescence, in children with neurodevelopmental disorders, taking advantage of new wearable technology . According to the researchers, in fact, sleep can represent an interesting “target” for modifiable treatment. This highlights how social factors, including access to healthcare and cultural perspectives, can influence the outcomes of a therapeutic treatment.