The sunspot theory of schizophrenia: Further evidence, a change of mechanism, and a strategy for the elimination of the disorder

Abstract

The Gestational Zinc Deficiency Theory suggests that the schizophrenia is caused by a spectrum of damage, produced in utero, to zinc dependent fetal organs such as the brain, pancreas, pineal, testes etc. One problem encountered by the theory is how such deficiency could occur given that the disorder is fairly uniformly distributed across the planet. The original explanation, that seasonal variation in zinc availability was responsible is unconvincing and a search for clues led to an investigation of the Recency Theory which argues that schizophrenia was unknown before 1750 and that an "epidemic of insanity" began around 1780 and stabilized around 1900. The Sunspot Theory arose from the realization that Juckett and Rosenberg's finding of a strong correlation between solar activity and longevity might, with some modification, explain both changes in the incidence of the disorder and the origin of the maternal zinc deficiency. The twenty year shift required to give optimal correlation was explained by these authors as being caused by ionizing radiation induced changes to developing fetal germinal cells. In the sunspot theory it was suggested that the correlation between solar activity and schizophrenia incidence was due to changes in maternal zinc metabolism following microwave induced stress. In this article it will be shown that that mechanism was incorrect. A far better explanation is provided by assuming that geomagnetic field induced loss of pineal activity in the mother during pregnancy permanently affects pineal entrainment in the fetus. In addition it is shown that the loss of correlation between solar activity and longevity during the 1800 to 1830 period identified by Juckett and Rosenberg explains a hitherto inexplicable decline, between 1877 and 1887, in the rising graph of schizophrenia incidence. Finally, the hypothesis, if correct suggests that a strategy based on zinc and melatonin supplements given to at risk parents may go some way to eliminating the disorder.