Bacterial Infections and
Neurotoxins
Schizophrenia is a devastating disease for patients and their families. Although the exact cause of schizophrenia, as well as many other mental illnesses, remains a mystery, recent research involving the observation of unusually high concentrations of molecules like carbon disulfide (CS2) in the breath of people who suffer from schizophrenia provides new information about a possible cause for the disease. CS2 is a well known neurotoxin, and it is also known to be produced by anaerobic bacteria. It can therefore be speculated that people with schizophrenia may be suffering form an overgrowth of specific strains of CS2-producing anaerobic bacteria in the large intestine. Carried to the brain by the blood stream, CS2 is small enough to cross the blood brain barrier and cause neural dysfunction. Clearly, there is a great need for a better understanding of the role of small molecules in the blood stream.
Breath Analysis with Mid-IR Lasers
Further research into measuring small molecules in the blood stream and investigating their possible role in mental illnesses like schizophrenia will benefit greatly from the mid-infrared laser absorption spectrometers that are being developed by Ekips Technologies. Clinical research projects involving exhaled breath measurement of molecules like CS2 in exhaled breath will now be much easier to perform because of these technological advances.
Schizophrenia is a devastating disease for patients and their families. Although the exact cause of schizophrenia, as well as many other mental illnesses, remains a mystery, recent research involving the observation of unusually high concentrations of molecules like carbon disulfide (CS2) in the breath of people who suffer from schizophrenia provides new information about a possible cause for the disease. CS2 is a well known neurotoxin, and it is also known to be produced by anaerobic bacteria. It can therefore be speculated that people with schizophrenia may be suffering form an overgrowth of specific strains of CS2-producing anaerobic bacteria in the large intestine. Carried to the brain by the blood stream, CS2 is small enough to cross the blood brain barrier and cause neural dysfunction. Clearly, there is a great need for a better understanding of the role of small molecules in the blood stream.
Breath Analysis with Mid-IR Lasers
Further research into measuring small molecules in the blood stream and investigating their possible role in mental illnesses like schizophrenia will benefit greatly from the mid-infrared laser absorption spectrometers that are being developed by Ekips Technologies. Clinical research projects involving exhaled breath measurement of molecules like CS2 in exhaled breath will now be much easier to perform because of these technological advances.
