Project Summary

Alan S. Brown, M.D. (Independent Investigator 2000) of New York State Psychiatric Institute, will examine the relationship between prenatal exposure to influenza and to essential fatty acid deficiency in patients with schizophrenia. Previous studies suggest associations between these two potential risk factors, but the findings have been generally inconclusive. To address this question, Dr. Brown will capitalize upon a precious and unique resource-stored maternal serum specimens drawn during the prenatal period-in subjects from a large birth cohort in which he has conducted a follow-up study for schizophrenia. Serologic analyses will be conducted to quantify these two potential risk factors, and cases of schizophrenia will be compared with non-schizophrenic controls from the cohort on these measures. The use of serologically obtained measures to define exposure status introduces an important methodologic advantage to previous studies, which generally relied upon data from epidemics or maternal recall of the exposure following pregnancy. Findings generated from this study have the potential to identify important strategies for prevention and result in a better understanding of the causal mechanisms which underlie this devastating illness.

Program Area: SCHIZOPHRENIA/PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS\Schizophrenia

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