Rsu1 regulates ethanol consumption in Drosophila and humans.

Alcohol abuse is highly prevalent, but little is understood about the molecular causes. Here, we report that Ras suppressor 1 (Rsu1) affects ethanol consumption in flies and humans. Drosophila lacking Rsu1 show reduced sensitivity to ethanol-induced sedation.

Is prematurity associated with adult cognitive outcome and brain structure?

Previous studies have indicated that preterm birth and low birth weight are associated with structural brain abnormalities and neurocognitive deficits in childhood and adolescence, although very few studies have included follow-up in adulthood. Here we assessed the effect of preterm delivery (524 subjects; mean 34.6 weeks, S.

Morphometric brain abnormalities in schizophrenia in a population-based sample: relationship to duration of illness.

Biased recruitment and sample selection may cause variability in neuroimaging studies. Epidemiologically principled population-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of schizophrenia are very rare. We gathered structural MRI data on 154 subjects from the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort, aged 33-35 (100 controls, 54 schizophrenia patients).

Non-participation in a field survey with respect to psychiatric disorders.

Aims: Higher rates of psychiatric morbidity among non-participants may lead to biased estimates of prevalence and incidence in epidemiological studies of psychiatric disorders. We had a unique opportunity to explore psychiatric morbidity and non-participation in a large epidemiological survey including questionnaires and a clinical examination.

Methods: Members of the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort were included in the study.

Fronto-cerebellar systems are associated with infant motor and adult executive functions in healthy adults but not in schizophrenia.

Delineating longitudinal relationships between early developmental markers, adult cognitive function, and adult brain structure could clarify the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia. We aimed to identify brain structural correlates of infant motor development (IMD) and adult executive function in nonpsychotic adults and to test for abnormal associations between these measures in people with schizophrenia. Representative samples of nonpsychotic adults (n = 93) and people with schizophrenia (n = 49) were drawn from the Northern Finland 1966 general population birth cohort.

Hippocampus and amygdala volumes in schizophrenia and other psychoses in the Northern Finland 1966 birth cohort.

Structural brain differences have been reported in many studies with schizophrenia, but few have involved a general population birth cohort. We investigated differences in volume, shape and laterality of hippocampus and amygdala in patients with schizophrenia, all psychoses and comparison subjects within a large general birth cohort sample, and explored effects of family history of psychosis, perinatal risk and age-at-onset of illness. All subjects with psychosis from the Northern Finland 1966 birth cohort were invited to a survey including MRI scan of the brain, conducted in 1999-2001.

Adulthood mortality of infants isolated at birth due to tuberculosis in the family.

Aims: In 1936 the Finnish Anti-Tuberculosis Association founded the first nursery, "Joulumerkkikoti", into which infants born into tuberculous families were admitted and given BCG vaccination to reduce the risk of tuberculosis. This prophylactic regimen was effective in reducing infant mortality and morbidity of tuberculosis. We investigated the mortality of these children later in childhood and adulthood.