What cause-and-effect theories are scientists pursuing?
A. There are three basic theories, all of which rest on a genetic base, since schizophrenia runs in families. We’ve already discussed one — that some unknown trigger causes exaggerated pruning of brain cells, leaving the patient with insufficient tissue to function normally. The second theory has to do with inadequate myelin coating. Myelin is a taffy-like substance that insulates your brain cells and enables communication among them — as much as 100 times faster than if the cells had no myelin. We know that some of the drugs that are effective in treating schizophrenia promote myelin growth. So if you put the drug findings together with the cell damage findings, it makes sense that even with drastic loss of brain tissue, improved myelin growth could ameliorate symptoms. The third theory has to do with chemical imbalance, specifically excessive amounts of the brain chemical dopamine. Some schizophrenia cases are environmentally triggered; there may be a genetic predisposition, but the
