Causes and countermeasures for the increased infection and COVID-19 mortality rates in patients with schizophrenia.

IBRO Neurosci Rep

Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Brain Science Research Transformation in Tropical Environment of Hainan Province, School of Basic Medicine and Life Sciences, Hainan Medical University, China.

Published: December 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • - Schizophrenia (SCZ) patients experienced higher rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to those with other mental disorders, but the reasons for this remain unclear.
  • - The review suggests that common molecular pathways linked to energy metabolism, immune disruptions, and central nervous system abnormalities may play a role in the heightened risks for SCZ patients during COVID-19.
  • - Additionally, factors such as sociodemographic challenges, limited access to psychiatric care, and barriers to vaccination were discussed as reasons behind the elevated infection and mortality rates in SCZ individuals.

Article Abstract

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a common psychiatric disorder that has a complex pathological mechanism. During the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, patients with SCZ had substantially higher rates of infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as higher COVID-19 mortality relative to patients with other mental disorders. However, the reasons for these increased rates in patients with SCZ remain unknown. In this review, we hypothesize that certain molecular pathways exhibit abnormal function in both COVID-19 and SCZ, with a focus on those related to energy metabolism dysregulation, immune system disruption, and abnormalities of the central nervous system. We review that dysregulation of energy metabolism can result in disruptions to the immune system and abnormalities within the central nervous system (CNS). Furthermore, immune system disturbances may also contribute to CNS abnormalities in both SCZ and COVID-19. We also discuss macro-factors associated with the high infection and mortality rates of COVID-19 in patients with SCZ, including sociodemographic factors, reduced access to psychiatric healthcare, structural barriers to COVID-19 vaccination, and proposed approaches to mitigate these macro-factors.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11616062PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ibneur.2024.11.009DOI Listing

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