Are Drugs the Solution to Schizophrenia?

"There are remedies worse than the disease." Publius Cyrus (ancient Rome)

Unfortunately there are serious problems with psychiatric drugs (1, 2). Neuropathology studies have conclusively demonstrated that schizophrenia is organic (3, 4). Averback (1981) reported massive bloating a death of neurons in schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and Huntington's chorea.

Averback (1981)

"The cells show massive distention with solvent-extractable lipid-pigment vacuolar droplet material that imparts a distinctive light and electron microscopic appearance."

Averback (1981, Archives of Neurology)

This quote is from Ref. 4. His findings were in both the nucleus ansae peduncularis and the septal area for schizophrenia, but Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's chorea were only studied in the NAP. At the time this report was published, he was located in Montreal.

Massively enlarged neurons were seen with vacuolated cytoplasms. To me this appears to mean that the neurons were overeating some macronutrients. These macronutrients were then converted by the cell to fat.

Fragmented cellular remnants were seen. This was probably caused by cell deaths. Averback's work was mentioned in Harrison's 1999 review (3), but Harrison did not seem to attach much importance to it. This may have been a mistake by Harrison, who is from Oxford in England.

The pathology was seen in 11 of 13 cases of schizophrenia. Pigment was seen which Averback felt was lipofuscin. Averback seemed to be unaware that Alzheimer had previously reported similar findings in the cortex in "dementia praecox" in 1913. Averback never referenced Alzheimer.

Electron-dense granular material was also seen. Averback did not identify this material, unfortunately. If it was glycogen, that would be an important clue to the metabolic error. Glycogen would indicate a partial failure of glucose metabolism, which is vital to the brain.

The results were different than those seen in neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis.

Anatomy

The area studied by Averback was in the substantia innominata, which is part of the basal ganglia. Unfortunately there are different names used by different anatomists. The substantia innominata is sometimes called the "nucleus basalis".

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease is famous, or infamous, for granulovacuolar degeneration of the hippocampus. Averback reported that his finding in the NAP was different from granulovacuolar degeneration.

Also Averback noted that the ultrastructure seen in schizophrenia was different than that seen in virus-infected cells.

Autoflourescence was seen in the schizophrenia cells. This came from the pigment deposits.

Averback referred to his findings in schizophrenia as a "lipidosis". He noted that the Nissl bodies were "barely recognizable". This gives us an important clue as to what is going on. The Nissl bodies house amino acids. If amino acids were flooding the cells, the destruction of the Nissl bodies would be explained. The fat vacuoles would also be explained.

Conclusions

It would appear that amino acids are flooding the brain cells in schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and Huntington's chorea. This might also be true in other neuropsychiatric diseases such as autism, ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, etc. This finding points towards a low protein diet as a treatment for these diseases (5-9).

References
1. Rapidly Worsening Hypertriglyceridemia During Treatment with Risperidone. Kohen I, Manu P.
Am J Ther. 2009 May 19. [Epub ahead of print]

PMID: 19455018 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher].

2. Etiology and Risk Factors for Developing Orthostatic Hypotension.

Mosnaim AD, Abiola R, Wolf ME, Perlmuter LC.

Am J Ther. 2009 May 15. [Epub ahead of print]

PMID: 19433976 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher].

3. The neuropathology of schizophrenia. A critical review of the data and their interpretation.

Harrison PJ.

Brain. 1999 Apr;122 ( Pt 4):593-624. Review.

PMID: 10219775 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].

4. Averback P. Lesions of the nucleus ansae peduncularis in neuropsychiatric disease. Arch Neurol 1981; 38: 230-5.

5. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1728112/mental_illness_and_homelessness.html

6. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1698919/advances_in_biological_psychiatric.html

7. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1680090/cuban_research_on_schizophrenia.html

8. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1680380/the_virus_theory_for_schizophrenia.html

9. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1676885/new_ideas_in_psychiatry.html