This paper investigated iron deficiency and schizophrenia. Previous research finding that iron deficiency may alter dopaminergic transmission, this study was conducted to identify whether low blood iron levels could be related to severity of schizophrenia symptoms. This study was conducted on 121 patients during their first episode of schizophrenia disorder. Symptoms were measured using the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS), and iron deficiency was defined as a serum ferritin less than 20ng/ml. The study found patients with iron deficiency were significantly more likely to have more prominent negative symptoms, and patients with more negative symptoms had significantly lower serum ferritin (iron) levels than their counterparts. This study highlights a possibility for further investigation as to whether iron supplementation could be used as an intervention.

The abstract can be accessed here

Kim SW, Stewart R, Park WY, Jhon M, Lee JY, Kim SY, Kim JM, Amminger P, Chung YC, Yoon JS. Latent iron deficiency as a marker of negative symptoms in patients with first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Nutrients. 2018 Nov;10(11):1707