New research suggests a link between psychosis and a genetic change that affects the brain’s immune system. The study may impact the development of modern medicines for bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

Psychosis affects approximately 2-3 per cent of the population and is characterized by a change in the perception of reality, often with elements of hallucinations and paranoid reactions.

Most of the people affected are patients with schizophrenia, but people with bipolar disorder may also experience psychotic symptoms.

The antipsychotics available today often have insufficient efficacy, and for patients, their life situation can be difficult.

The average life expectancy of people with schizophrenia is approximately 15 years shorter than that of the general population, according to Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare.

«It is not entirely known what biological mechanisms cause psychosis, but recent research suggests that immune activation in the brain’s glial cells may be the cause. People with psychosis have elevated levels of kynurenic acid in the brain, a messenger that transmits information from the brain’s immune system to the neurons,» says Goran Engberg, Professor at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, and the study’s corresponding author.

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