Schizophrenia enkephalin

The 1960 s and 1970 s saw several other hypotheses proposed and dis-proven. The monoamine oxidase (MAO) deficiency hypothesis was based on the observation of diminished activity of platelet MAO-B in schizophrenia, although this was likely to be an artifact of drug treatment and the small deficits could not, in any case, account for changes in monoamine transmitters. Other hypotheses relating to, among other transmitter molecules, noradrenaline and enkephalin/endorphin have also been proposed. Each of these have had propo-... 

Another area where an imbalance in neuropeptide levels has been implicated in illness is that of schizophrenia. In collaboration with Dr. T. Crow (Northwick Park Hospital), we are currently studying both the CSF and postmortem brain extracts from schizophrenic and control patients. Peptides screened by the HPLC-bio/radioimmunoassay approach include the enkephalins and endorphins, CCKg, VIP, LH-RH, TRH, and substance P. 

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