An association has been identified between a variant of the NAPRT1 gene, which reduces the body's ability to use Vitamin B3, and schizophrenia. The study reveals there could be a critical interaction between a pregnant woman's prenatal niacin deficiency due to malnutrition and the NAPRT1 variant, which impedes the fetus' ability to use niacin during development. The interaction between the gene and the prenatal environment may predispose the offspring to develop a psychiatric disorder.
