22nd ECNP Congress 2009: The Future of Schizophrenia

ISTANBUL - At the 22nd Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP), Prof. William Carpenter from the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, USA, gave today an outlook on a paradigm shift in schizophrenia research, which will have major influence on diagnosis and therapy. “In future schizophrenia research, the focus of therapeutic study will move away from schizophrenia as a disease entity onto specific domains of pathology, promoting the development of targeted drug therapies,” said Carpenter. “This may substantially improve the quality of life for patients in the near future, and prepare the field to address recovery, cure and prevention.”

Affecting almost 1% of the world’s population, schizophrenia takes an enormous economic and social toll in addition to the distress, dysfunction, disability and mortality for those afflicted with this disease. It presents different symptoms in multiple domains, whereby positive (delusions, hallucinations, etc.) and negative (anhedonia, avolition, etc.) phenomena can be separated. Furthermore, schizophrenia is associated with cognitive impairment. Rather than being a homogeneous disease entity, schizophrenia is characterised by separate domains of pathology, which are only loosely linked with each other.

To understand genetic causation, genetic studies will shift from the genetics of schizophrenia as a syndrome to the genetics of pathological domains. This may help clarify the apparent genetic overlap between major illness syndromes. As a consequence, drugs discovery in schizophrenia redeploys interests from producing dopamine antagonists for psychosis to novel discoveries targeting with new molecular targets and therapeutic profile. Drugs with efficacy in impaired cognition and negative symptoms may have application across a number of disease classes. As these pathologies are observed prior to psychosis, it will raise the possibility of early intervention and secondary prevention.

Source: Press Conference at the 22nd ECNP Congress, 14 Sept 2009, Istanbul, Turkey

The European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP), founded in 1987, is a scientific forum that encourages translational research between the neurosciences and clinical practice (www.ecnp.eu).

For further information please contact: Press Office ECNP 2009: Update Europe Vienna, Austria Tel. +43-1-405-57-34 E-mail: s.mak@update.europe.at

Source: Update Europe

For further information please contact: Press Office ECNP 2009: Update Europe, Vienna, Austria, Tel. +43-1-405-57-34, E-mail: s.mak at update.europe.at