As we reported recently, a new study is giving hope to those who suffer from schizophrenia that it is possible to reverse the damage done to the brain. If you’ve ever had a loved one who has had the disease, that’s good news indeed — and you can see why in the startling video below.

Scientists from the United Kingdom and China compared the brains of schizophrenics and those without the ailment to see how they compared. They used a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine and found that brains are actually very busy repairing themselves even in the midst of the disease, which could lead to breakthrough new treatments and maybe even a cure.

Schizophrenia is a terrifying disorder where a person can’t distinguish between what is real and what is fantasy. People with the disorder also have a hard time managing their own emotions or relating to others. As a result, many sufferers of schizophrenia either withdrawal completely into themselves or they behave erratically, often dangerously.

Fortunately, modern treatments can help people manage their symptoms and live relatively normal lives. And this new study gives hope to them, as it helps us better understand how the brain deteriorates and what can be done to reverse those effects.

If you’re curious what a schizophrenic person goes through, you can view the video below which is based on interviews with those suffering from the condition.

“These findings are important not only because of their novelty and the rigour of the study, but because they point the way to the development of targeted treatments that potentially could better address some of the core pathology in schizophrenia,” explains Dr. Jeffrey Reiss, Site Chief, Psychiatry, LHSC. “Brain plasticity and the development of related therapies would contribute to a new optimism in an illness that was 100 years ago described as premature dementia for its seemingly progressive deterioration.”

“Dr. Palaniyappan and his colleagues have opened new avenues of research into our understanding of schizophrenia,” says Dr. Paul Links, Chair/Chief, Psychiatry, LHSC. “Their findings may lead us to be able to harness the brain’s own compensatory changes in the face of this illness and improve recovery. We are excited that Dr. Palaniyappan will be continuing this important clinical research here in London with his international colleagues.”