When schizophrenia is a treatable autoimmune disease

When schizophrenia is a treatable autoimmune disease

From Petrie Dish by Bonnie Petrie

May 5, 2026 · 27 min

About this episode

The episode discusses how April Burrell's long-term psychosis was linked to her immune system, and features Dr. Anthony Zoghbi's research on identifying similar cases.

For 26 years, April Burrell was lost to a psychosis that defeated every treatment. Then a doctor asked a different question: what if her immune system was the problem? Dr. Anthony Zoghbi worked on the team that discovered Burrell's immune system was attacking her brain. Now he's searching for a blood test that could identify millions of others who may have been misdiagnosed and could be treated.

People in this episode

Host: Bonnie Petrie

Guest: Dr. Anthony Zoghbi

Topics covered

  • schizophrenia
  • autoimmune disease
  • psychosis
  • immune system
  • treatment

Keywords

  • schizophrenia
  • autoimmune disease
  • psychosis
  • immune system
  • blood test

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