Insanity Virus

Before reading the following information, I suggest clearing your mind of any prior knowledge of the cause of schizophrenia in order to begin judging Dr. Torrey’s analysis without bias.

Research recently conducted by Dr. Fuller Torrey and members of his staff at the Stanley Medical Research Institute proposes that the disorder, which has always been regarded as a psychiatric condition, may not be a mental illness at all. Rather, Torrey’s research claims that schizophrenia is, in fact, caused by a virus.

This theory suggested by Torrey is known as "the insanity virus" and while the theory is accredited to Dr. Torrey alone, there are many psychiatrists and medical researchers that support the idea of this virus. The insanity virus theory suggests that there is a virus ingrained in human DNA. The insanity virus is not contagious. Actually, it is something that we are all born with. Torrey claims that certain environmental conditions, like stress or immune response, can somehow activate the virus, leading to inflammation in the brain, delusions, and other psychotic symptoms.

  Increased inflammation in patients as schizophrenia worsens

Torrey began conducting research on schizophrenia and bipolar disorder after his younger sister was diagnosed as being schizophrenia. Many doctors and therapists 30-40 years ago believed that the disease was attributed to bad parenting or the result of abuse. Later, a genetic link was recognized, but doctors still do not have the answer as to why some people with a genetic predisposition for disorders on the same spectrum go on to develop schizophrenia while others do not.

In his preliminary research, Torrey began to notice similar patterns of inflammation in the brain of people diagnosed with schizophrenia. Inflammation is commonly attributed to illness, infection, or heightened immune response. Following this, Torrey began studying over 100 volunteers. His theory states that an infection or illness can trigger the insanity virus, leading to the development of schizophrenic symptoms that last for longer periods of time.

Torrey began treating many schizophrenic patients with antibiotics and anti-viral medications, and his studies have had astounding results. Each time that immune response is diminished through the use of these kinds of drugs, symptoms in schizophrenic patients began to improve, and inflammation declined. The theory of the insanity virus has still not thoroughly been proven. There is substantial criticism from other researchers in the field, and there is considerable research left to do.

References:

http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/v6/n6/full/4000956a.html

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106151437