Chilean study could help detect schizophrenia before symptoms appear

A Chilean study is offering a new clue in the long search for ways to detect schizophrenia before its first symptoms appear.

For decades, scientists have looked to genes for an explanation of the disorder, but no complete answer has emerged. The new research proposes that schizophrenia may begin leaving traces in the brain much earlier.

According to the report, those changes could begin during the early stages of development. The study, led by a Chilean team, could therefore help researchers explore detection before the illness becomes clinically apparent.