Medical Mimics of Schizophrenia

Introduction

Many medical conditions can mimic schizophrenia including amphetamine psychosis, methamphetamine intoxication, mescaline intoxication, hypoglycemia, acute intermittent porphyria, etc. In acute intermittent porphria there is a lack of heme leading to the lack of a key enzyme which metabolizes tryptophan. As a result of this tryptophan accumulates and poisons the brain causing mental symptoms. This is a treatable disease. The patient is given heme.

Cancer

Certain types of cancer result in psychiatric symptoms. Included are tumors of the adrenal glands and brain tumors. A tumor of the adrenal medulla causes excessive catecholamines resulting in psychiatric symptoms. This provides an important clue to mental diseases. The possibility of a toxic catecholamine causing schizophrenia is very real. Catecholamines can also be made in the brain. However, the brain has little adrenaline. The brain has dopamine.

PKU

In 1934 Dr. Asbjorn Folling of Norway discovered a genetic disease which is now called PKU (short for phenylketonuria). Folling rightfully became famous for this. In this terrible disease the amino acid phenylalanine accumulates and poisons the brain causing both mental illness and mental retardation. In one variation, caused by a deficiency of biopterin, both phenylalanine and tryptophan accumulate.

The treatment for PKU is a special diet very low in protein. Babies are given a special formula very low in phenylalanine. The diet must be followed for life. Linus Pauling was influenced by this work and used it as evidence for "orthomolecular" psychiatry.

Nutrition