Scientists Discover Why the Brain Gets Stuck in Schizophrenia
Anne Trafton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Why do some people struggle to adapt to new information and stay locked into outdated beliefs?
Scientists at MIT may have found a key reason. A newly identified gene mutation appears to disrupt a brain circuit that helps us update our understanding of the world. When this system fails, the brain may cling to old ideas even when reality changes.
In experiments with mice, researchers showed that this mutation interferes with the brain’s ability to adjust decisions based on new input, a problem...