A major discovery about brain iron could hold the key to better treatments for schizophrenia.
Researchers at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Oxford have found that people with psychosis have lower levels of iron in certain deep regions of the brain, including the substantia nigra.
The study also identified higher levels of neuromelanin-related signals in the same area.
Robert McCutcheon, honorary consultant at Oxford Health and associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Oxford, said: "These findings suggest that iron storage in the brain is altered in psychosis.
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"Understanding this could help us identify new treatment targets by linking iron biology to dopamine activity.
"More studies, particularly those following patients over time, are needed.
"However, the study provides an important step forward in understanding the underlying biology of schizophrenia."
Iron is essential for producing dopamine, a chemical that regulates mood, motivation, and thinking.
Previous research has shown that people with psychosis often have elevated dopamine activity, but the root cause has remained unclear.
The study compiled data from 27 previous MRI studies, including 879 individuals with psychosis and 813 without.
Preclinical evidence suggests that low iron in this region of the brain may increase dopamine activity.
This discovery could help explain why dopamine is overactive in schizophrenia.
The paper, titled ‘Gray Matter Iron and Neuromelanin in Psychosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of MRI Studies’, was published in The American Journal of Psychiatry.
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