The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, June 7, 1983 - Page 5
Schizophrenia linked to heredity
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The devastating mental
disorder of paranoid schizophrenia seems to have
roots in the womb, when normally well-ordered cells
deep within the brain of an unborn child are thrown
into disarray, UCLA researchers report.
Microscopic examination of brain tissue from 10
deceased schizophrenics ages 25 to 67 revealed a
striking disorganization among cells within the hip-
pocampus, a portion of the brain beieved to be
associated with the expression of emotion, said Dr.
Arnold Scheibel and Joyce Kovelman of UCLA's
Brain Research Institute.
THEY SAID in an interview that their study
produced the strongest evidence yet of "structural
abnormalities in the brains of schizophrenic patien-
ts" and may someday allow doctors to identify
children as high risks for the disease.
Such misalignments have not been reported before
and were either absent or much less pronounced in
brains from the bodies of eight non-psychotic subjec-
ts used as controls, Scheibel said.
The researchers conceded their study involved few
subjects and only those with paranoia, one of several
versions of the disease. But, Kovelman said, "This is
the first of many studies that will help us understand
the full meaning of this."
SCHIZOPHRENIA, a collection of severe mental
disorders that may produce such symptoms as
hallucinations, feelings of grandeur or persecution,
absence of outward emotion and complete loss of
touch with reality, remains a mysterious illness.
Drugs can often control or limit symptoms, but both
cure and cause remain elusive.
Scheibel said schizophrenia probably has a
multiple causes, effects and outcomes. "Obviously,
there are many ways to make the brain sick."
Evidence strongly suggests a susceptibility can be
inherited. Many theories suggest links to an imbalan-
ce in chemicals produced and used by the brain.
Some scientists have reported evidence a virus-like
agent may be involved in some patients. And errors
in the wiring or structure of the brain have been im-
plicated periodically for several decades.
Kovelman said the new study "is the first quan-
tified study, made under very rigid and controlled
conditions" to find structural changes.
The pyramid-shaped brain cells in the hippocam-
pus are normally aligned in almost military
precision, she said. In the schizophrenics, many of
the cells were in chaotic disarray and "the greatest
number of disoriented cells were in the interfaces of
the various subdivisions of the hippocampus," where
half or more might be badly out of line, she said.
Scheibel said the nature and extent of the changes
are such that they almost certainly occur during the
first few months of pregnancy, when the embryo's
nerve cells are migrating into the hippocampal
region.
CBS, '60 Minutes' win slander lawsuit
LOS ANGELES - A civil jury decided
yesterday that CBS and its top-rated
"60 Minutes" news show did not slander
a doctor who was linked on the show to
an insurance fraud scheme.
The vote was 10-2 in favor of CBS. In
civil trials in California, only nine
jurors must agree in order to reach a
verdict.
THE NINE-WOMAN, three-man
jury began deliberations Friday after
hearing closing arguments. They met
for nearly five hours Saturday, spen-
ding most of the time re-running "out-
takes" of the segment - film shot
during the story but never broadcast.
Dr. Carl Galloway claimed he was
defamed in the December 1979
segment, "It's No Accident," and
charged the defendants showed "a
reckless disregard for the truth" in
reporting the story.
The segment, narrated by Rather,
focused on alleged insurance fraud
schemes operating in Los Angeles'
black community.
RATHER pointed to one medical
clinic - the Manchester West Doctors'
Office - which he said was issuing
phony medical reports for auto ac-
cidents that often had not occurred.
"60 Minutes" reported on the adven-
tures of a woman named Rosa Bravo,
who went to Manchester West at the
show's behest and obtained a phony
report. The report was held up before
cameras and Rather noted it was
signed by Galloway.
The doctor, watching at home, said
he was aghast. He claimed never to
have signed such a report, saying the
signature was a forgery and that he had
stopped working at the clinic months
before the "60 Minutes" crew visited.
GALLOWAY'S attorney, Bruce
Friedman, asked the jury to award
Galloway $2.5 million for damage to his
professional reputation and $2 million
for "personal humiliation."
Superior Court Judge Jack Swink
ruled out punitive damages last week,
saying Galloway had failed to prove
"hatred or ill will" on the part of CBS,
Rather, and the producers of "60
Minutes."
Friedman told the jurors the network
and Rather had accused the physician
of "guilt by association" in the fraud
scheme at the Los Angeles medical
clinic.
CBS ATTORNEY William Vaughn
told jurors that if they awarded the doc-
tor "even a dollar, you will signify a
willingness to restrain a free press for
the sake of one who entered the grimy
worldof insurance fraud."
Galloway, Vaughn said, failed to
prove he was defamed in the news show
segment and did not substantiate
allegations he was wrongly implicated
in the fraud scheme.
Rather
... wins court battle
AFSCME
accuses
state of
illegal
conduct
(ContinuedfromPage 3)
UNION OFFICIALS charge that this
guideline was improperly enforced
when MERC disqualified a sealed
ballot from a clerical employed at
either the Flint or Dearborn campus
which was delivered by her husband.
According to McGhee the com-
mission had previously announced that
clericals from other University cam-
puses could either mail their ballots or
have them delivered.
"The fair conditions that MERC is
supposed to ensure did not really
exist," said McGhee.
UNIVERSITY officials are not con-
cerned about AFSCME's charges.
"(AFSCME) says things that I know
aren't true," said Lemmer.
The union is also objecting to an offer
by the University to transport em-
ployees from other campuses to polling
sites in Ann Arbor. The University
made this offer because a computer
blocked several clericals from
receiving ballots.
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