Journal article

Structural abnormalities in the cuneus associated with Herpes Simplex Virus (type 1) infection in people at ultra high risk of developing psychosis

TJ Whitford, SJ Wood, A Yung, L Cocchi, G Berger, ME Shenton, M Kubicki, L Phillips, D Velakoulis, RH Yolken, C Pantelis, P McGorry, GP Amminger

Schizophrenia Research | ELSEVIER | Published : 2012

Abstract

It has been suggested that some cases of schizophrenia may be caused by an interaction between physiological risk factors and exposure to certain neurotropic infectious agents such as Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV1). This study investigated whether HSV1 exposure was associated with structural brain abnormalities in individuals who, because of genetic or other factors, were deemed at ultra high risk (UHR) of developing psychosis. Twenty-five UHR individuals with a history of HSV1 exposure (HSV1. +), 33 UHR participants without a history of HSV1 exposure (HSV1. -) and 19 healthy controls participated in the study. All participants underwent a T1-weighted structural MRI scan, and HSV1 exposu..

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Grants

Awarded by National Institutes of Health


Funding Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (Overseas-Based Postdoctoral Training Fellowship 520627 to T.J.W.; Program Grant 145627; Program Grants 350421 and 566529; Clinical Career Development Awards to S.W., A.Y., C.P.); NARSAD Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (Young Investigator Award) to T.J.W. and S.W.; the National Institutes of Health (R03 MH068464-0 to M.K.; R01 MH 50747, K05 MH 070047, and P50 MH 080272 to M.E.S.); Harvard Medical School (Milton Award); Department of Veterans Affairs (VA Merit Award, VA Research Enhancement Award Program, and VA Schizophrenia Research Center Grant to M.E.S.); and Stanley Medical Research Institute to R.H.Y.