Japanese researchers at the RIKEN Center for Brain Sciences in Tokyo said it would soon be possible to detect schizophrenia by testing human hair for levels of a particular enzyme.
Tests show that patients with severe mental health disorder have significantly higher levels of the enzyme MPST, which produces hydrogen sulfide, in their brains found in schizophrenic patients, compared with those without any diseases.
The Japanese team says that looking for enzyme levels in the hair can help detect the condition before the development of the condition and the arrival of patients hallucinations.
Researchers are currently testing whether drugs designed to treat enzyme production can alleviate symptoms in mice.