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This week on Health Watch, we’ll be talking about research on the brain and nervous system. A protein that affects the way mice learn and memorize things could be key to understanding schizophrenia in humans.

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas found that mice lacking a specific gene behave in a way similar to humans with schizophrenia. The researchers trained mice to find treats using environmental cues. But when mice were treated with a drug that blocks the effects of the gene, they weren’t able to react to situational cues. Dr. Robert Greene, the UT Southwestern psychiatrist who led the study, says this effect is similar to what happens with humans who have schizophrenia. The scientists plan further research into how this mechanism might work in humans so they can learn more about schizophrenia.

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^{February 2006}

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