Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 19864

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Dr Bob & pdocs; Any Comments on this?

Posted by JohnB on January 28, 2000, at 3:49:47

Would love to hear more about this article: Any comments?

Viruses on the Brain
The key to a revolution in psychiatry may lie in a deep freeze at the Stanley Research Foundation in Maryland. Stored here are pieces of brain, sliced paper thin to let researchers see what’s inside. And what they believe they are seeing are viruses that trigger mental illness.
     “In very concrete terms, we are actually thinking that you have a chronic infection in the brain,” explains Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, executive director of the foundation. “You have viruses in the brain cells that have changed the chemistry of the cells.”
     For 25 years, Torrey has been on a quest to find the viruses he believes trigger schizophrenia and manic depression.
     The theory is simple: Common viruses can sleep harmlessly in the brain, but can awaken when we are stressed or have a drop in our immune system. When that happens, a virus can begin to inflame brain cells.
     Scientists are not sure why this happens, but they say some people are more genetically susceptible to the process.
     “When I started it,,” Torrey says, “ it seemed fairly outrageous to most of my colleagues. But I must admit, it’s almost respectable now.”
     So respectable that within a year a trial study will begin to add antiviral drugs to the medications for a small number of patients with schizophrenia and manic depression.
     “Our eventual goal,” says Dr. Robert Yolken of the Johns Hopkins Medical School, “would really be to see if we could prevent or treat these diseases — particularly schizophrenia — by using one of these anti-viral agents.”

Re: Dr Bob & pdocs; Any Comments on this?

Posted by michael on January 28, 2000, at 9:45:37

In reply to Dr Bob & pdocs; Any Comments on this?, posted by JohnB on January 28, 2000, at 3:49:47

> Would love to hear more about this article: Any comments?
>
> Viruses on the Brain
> The key to a revolution in psychiatry may lie in a deep freeze at the Stanley Research Foundation in Maryland. Stored here are pieces of brain, sliced paper thin to let researchers see what’s inside. And what they believe they are seeing are viruses that trigger mental illness.
>      “In very concrete terms, we are actually thinking that you have a chronic infection in the brain,” explains Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, executive director of the foundation. “You have viruses in the brain cells that have changed the chemistry of the cells.”
>      For 25 years, Torrey has been on a quest to find the viruses he believes trigger schizophrenia and manic depression.
>      The theory is simple: Common viruses can sleep harmlessly in the brain, but can awaken when we are stressed or have a drop in our immune system. When that happens, a virus can begin to inflame brain cells.
>      Scientists are not sure why this happens, but they say some people are more genetically susceptible to the process.
>      “When I started it,,” Torrey says, “ it seemed fairly outrageous to most of my colleagues. But I must admit, it’s almost respectable now.”
>      So respectable that within a year a trial study will begin to add antiviral drugs to the medications for a small number of patients with schizophrenia and manic depression.
>      “Our eventual goal,” says Dr. Robert Yolken of the Johns Hopkins Medical School, “would really be to see if we could prevent or treat these diseases — particularly schizophrenia — by using one of these anti-viral agents.”

I'm not a doctor - but just wondering if that might play a role in the success of amantadine augmentation of antidepressants?

michael

Re: Dr Bob & pdocs; Any Comments on this?

Posted by Noa on January 28, 2000, at 12:21:56

In reply to Re: Dr Bob & pdocs; Any Comments on this?, posted by michael on January 28, 2000, at 9:45:37

There is a similar vein of research on "PANDAS" , pediatric autoimmune neurological disorders associated with strep" (Or something to that effect), showing that some behavioral disorders of childhood and ocd/tourettes type disorders have their origins in a recurrent inflammation of the basal ganglia due to an ongoing, undetected and obviously, untreated, strep infection. They found that antibiotics helped.

Re: Dr Bob & pdocs; Any Comments on this?

Posted by JohnB on January 28, 2000, at 13:21:47

In reply to Re: Dr Bob & pdocs; Any Comments on this?, posted by michael on January 28, 2000, at 9:45:37

> I'm not a doctor - but just wondering if that might play a role in the success of amantadine augmentation of antidepressants?
>
> michael

That was my thought too Michael. I looked back on previous posts about amantadine last night, but didn't find anecdotal evidence that it was a wonder drug. However would like to hear from anyone taking amantadine as an augmentor. Thinking of trying it myself.

I remember a few years ago it was discovered that stomach ulcers was caused by a bug (virus?). This after decades of belief that it was caused by stress, etc.

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