Schizophrenia as an Encephalopathy
Snesarev, a brilliant Russian neuropathologist during the era of the Soviet Union, felt that schizophrenia was an encephalopathy. This view was later endorsed by Diana Orlovskaya, a brilliant Russian neuropathologist who is still alive and is still doing research. She likes to use the electron microscope. There are many types of encephalopathy, including those caused by drugs. Neurotoxic drugs can cause encephalopathy, unfortunately. An encephalopathy is an organic disease of the brain.
|
 |
This clipart from Erowid is based on the Alexander Shulgin book TIHKAL, the sequel to PIHKAL. These books are cookbooks for illicit drugs. Each book has different recipes showing how to make the drugs and describing the effects of the drugs. From a research point of view the books are valuable, but they could also be used by the underworld to produce the drugs. I would not ban the books, but law enforcement people might want to study the books themselves. Shown here is bufotenine, which is a close relative of dimethyltryptamine.
|
This clipart of the Krebs cycle comes from the Kent State website. The Krebs cycle is abnormal in schizophrenia (as well as various other diseases) due to the flooding of the cell with amino acids. This causes gluconeogenesis, which means the manufacture of carbohydrates from amino acids. Carbohydrates can also be made to a limited extent from fat. In diabetes there is a different kind of disturbance of the citric acid cycle, also called the Krebs cycle. In diabetes poisons such as acetone are produced. Too much acetone can cause death.
|
Shown here is glucuronic acid. The image is from the Hetero Atom website. Glucuronic acid conjugates with toxins, including bilirubin. Glucuronic acid has potential as a nutraceutical, or nutritional supplement.
|
This clipart from High School Hub shows the myelin sheath of a neuron. In multiple sclerosis there is deterioration of this sheath, with disastrous consequences. Multiple sclerosis is usually called a degenerative disease because the etiology is unknown. If an unknown toxin causes the damage, it could be an encephalopathy.
|
Shown here is a clipart of glucose taken from a biochemistry division of High School Hub. The brain depends very heavily on glucose for energy, and this is the reason why problems in glucose metabolism are disastrous to the brain. One example is hypoglycemia.
|
|
|
This clipart is from High School Hub. In hepatic encephalopathy toxins which should have been removed by the liver, such as bilirubin, poison the brain. In schizophrenia a toxin interferes with glycolysis in the brain. There may be more than one toxin in schizophrenia.
|
This clipart from Kent State shows a summary of the Krebs cycle, which was named after a brilliant scientist. This cycle is part of the generation of ATP, which is vital to provide energy for the chemical reactions of the cell.
|
This clipart shows Schmiedeberg, a brilliant chemist who discovered glucuronic acid. Glucuronic acid is used by the liver to conjugate toxins so that they can be excreted. Glucuronic acid conjugates DMPEA, the toxin which may cause schizophrenia (according to Friedhoff & van Winkle). Thus it could be a treatment for schizophrenia (as well as other diseases).
|
Shown here is Charles Darwin, who discovered the theory of evolution. Most diseases are mistakes in evolution. However, encephalopathies can also be caused by drugs or poisons, unfortunately. Many of these, including lead poisoning, can mimic schizophrenia.
|
This clipart is from High School Hub. It shows the separation of blood proteins by electrophoresis, which is a technique used by the Detroit group to isolate abnormal proteins in schizophrenia. They found two abnormal proteins, one being an alpha-2-globulin and the other a beta-2-globulin. In the autoimmune theory of schizophrenia, the offending protein is supposed to be a gamma globulin because antibodies are gamma globulins. This theory was favored by some Russian scientists. There is also an autoimmune theory for multiple sclerosis.
|
|
|
