Veteran participants needed for VA schizophrenia study

The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston is seeking veterans to participate in a schizophrenia and bipolar illness study.

According to a hospital news release, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are chronic psychiatric diseases associated with considerable lifelong disability. Both conditions are known to profoundly affect the lives of those who suffer from the disorder.

"Genetic testing is a powerful tool to study any given disorder, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder," said Dr. Rayan Al Jurdi, a VA psychiatrist and associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine, according to the press release. "However, a great many large-scale studies in this area have been curtailed because of the lack of study participants or lack of diversity in the patients studied."

The goal of the study is to conduct a gene-association analysis comparing the DNA of 9,000 veterans with schizophrenia and 9,000 veterans with bipolar illness. These studies will be compared with the DNA of approximately 20,000 mentally healthy veterans. The results of the study could help researchers discover genetic risk factors related to these two disorders.

"Genetic studies can also help researchers develop better treatments," said Jurdi in the press release. "This is extremely important because suicide attempts and completed suicides are very common in these two populations."

Veterans who qualify and participate in the study will receive $60 compensation for their time and inconvenience.

Any veteran who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar illness is invited and encouraged to participate.

For more information, call 713-791-1414, ext. 6911 or 6938.