Vitamin D and Schizophrenia: Association, Therapeutic Potential and Mechanisms

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that affects approximately 1% of the U.S population and it is characterized by a wide range of symptoms including hallucination, delusion, and lack of pleasure. It is believed both genetic and environmental influences contribute to schizophrenia onset. Among environmental influences, vitamin D has been extensively studied as a risk factor for schizophrenia. Both developmental and adult vitamin D deficiencies have been demonstrated to be associated with schizophrenia. Developmental vitamin D supplementation during an early year of life could dramatically reduce the rate of schizophrenia development. In addition, adult vitamin D supplementation in schizophrenia patients was shown to decrease the disease’s severity. In this article, we review recent advances in the connection, therapeutic potential, and pathogenetic mechanism of vitamin D in schizophrenia.