There’s new hope in the battle against schizophrenia, as we reported recently: scientists in the United Kingdom and China have used Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to make a breakthrough that could lead to a treatment or cure. But not many people realize just how incredibly terrifying it is to have this mental illness, and what it entails.

The scientists used MRI imaging to show that the brains of people with schizophrenia actually try to regenerate brain tissue, a big discovery that could pave the way for future targeted treatments or potentially even a cure.

The video above shows just how frightening it is to have schizophrenia, and how debilitating it can be, and therefore why a cure or at least an effective treatment is so important. People who have schizophrenia will hear voices and noises that aren’t there, or see strange things that aren’t visible to everyone else. They are unable to distinguish between this and reality, and it often leads them to shut themselves off from the world or act erratically.

Fortunately, there are ways to treat this condition, any many people with it can manage the illness through therapy, medication, and support. This new study could provide yet another breakthrough badly needed by this underserved and often ignored community.

“These findings are important not only because of their novelty and the rigour of the study, but because they point the way to the development of targeted treatments that potentially could better address some of the core pathology in schizophrenia,” explains Dr. Jeffrey Reiss, Site Chief, Psychiatry, LHSC. “Brain plasticity and the development of related therapies would contribute to a new optimism in an illness that was 100 years ago described as premature dementia for its seemingly progressive deterioration.”

“Dr. Palaniyappan and his colleagues have opened new avenues of research into our understanding of schizophrenia,” says Dr. Paul Links, Chair/Chief, Psychiatry, LHSC. “Their findings may lead us to be able to harness the brain’s own compensatory changes in the face of this illness and improve recovery. We are excited that Dr. Palaniyappan will be continuing this important clinical research here in London with his international colleagues.”