Scientists discover possible test for schizophrenia

Israeli researchers may have found a way to diagnose schizophrenia by analysing white blood cells for signs of a chemical that is overactive in patients with the psychiatric condition.

Psychiatrists may be able to give patients a simple blood test to determine at an early stage whether a patient has the disorder instead of observing behaviour for at least six months before diagnosing and treating it.

The blood test, which has been patented but is not likely to be commercially available for several years, was proposed and tried on patients by Professor Sara Fuchs of the immunology department of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot and by graduate student Tal Ilani.

Their study, carried out with help from colleagues at the Rambam Hospital in Haifa and the nearby Be'er Ya'acov and Tirat Hacarmel mental health …