"A glass of wine or a cup of coffee will tip brain function in either direction. Imagine the consequences if blood cells or neurotoxic substances in blood penetrate the blood-brain border. The effects can be disastrous. While this is well understood by neurologists, the possibility that psychological illnesses, such as autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia, could be caused by a leaky blood-brain barrier has not been fully appreciated."
"The new study, on the rare inherited disorder DiGeorge syndrome, reveals that a leaky blood-brain barrier can cause autism spectrum-like symptoms and that a drug that repairs the defect in the border wall relieves the psychological impairments. DiGeorge syndrome, caused by a missing stretch of chromosome 22, can have wide ranging effects on the brain and body, but affected patients also have a 25-fold increased risk of developing psychosis, and one in four individuals with the syndrome develops schizophrenia."
The blood-brain barrier is a tightly sealed cellular barricade separating fluid bathing brain tissue from circulating blood and maintaining precise brain chemistry. Even slight changes in that fluid can disrupt neural function, and penetration by blood cells or neurotoxic substances can cause severe dysfunction. A leaky blood-brain barrier can produce autism spectrum-like symptoms and other neuropsychiatric disorders. In DiGeorge syndrome, deletion of a chromosome 22 segment associates with abnormal mitochondria in barrier cells and a leaky border, increasing psychosis risk dramatically. Enhancing mitochondrial function repairs the barrier and alleviates impaired social interaction.
Read at Psychology Today
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