Could Schizophrenia Be Entirely Genetic?
The latest gene-scanning technology may have shed some much-desired light on a potential cause for schizophrenia, a mental disorder characterized by delusions and scrambled thought processes. The disease is believed to affect 1% of the population.
Until now, medical scientists were searching for the cause of the disease in a cluster of factors, none of which produced particularly promising results. Previous studies have searched for shared genetic sequences among patients and how the drugs prescribed for the disease work with brain cells. The cause has remained elusive but recently developed high-resolution technology capable of scanning the complete DNA map has revealed some very rare genetic variations common in schizophrenics that have been heretofore undetectable.
The discovery, considered a paradigm shift by colleagues, is the result of a combined study involving researchers at the National Institute of Health, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and the University of Washington in Seattle. Researchers scanned blood samples from 150 schizophrenics and a control group of 268 samples from people who do not have the disease.
53 mutations in the DNA sequence were detected. These mutations were found to occur in 15% of people with schizophrenia and 5% in those not affected by the disease. The disease usually becomes apparent in adulthood but a very rare form sometimes develops during childhood. When the blood samples of people with this rare childhood form of the disease were analyzed, a rare mutation known to alter genetic function was four times more likely to occur. Heredity plays a role in some of the mutations identified but others spontaneously occur at or shortly after conception.
One of the ways the genetic mutations affect brain function is by distorting the ability to guide neurons to the correct locations in the brain during development. Another alters the shape of a glutamate-transporting molecule. Glutamate is required to excite neurons so signals can be effectively transmitted from cell to cell.
Researchers haven’t yet determined if these genetic mutations work alone to cause schizophrenia or if they work in conjunction with other processes. The research team is optimistic, however, that the ever-improving state of gene-scanning technologies will help solve the mystery of this very disturbing disease. They also express the hope of using similar technologies to learn more about other diseases of the mind, including autism, bipolar disorder, and depression.
Today’s issue of the journal Science carries complete details of the study.
- How likely do you think it is, that Schizophrenia could be entirely genetic, with no involvement of triggering factors?
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Any so called ’schizophrenic’ who says he is doing good on meds, and getting a degree, and gold medals etc… I don’t care. I ask you this…
Given that the drugs you take dull, numb and perturb organic neurological processes, deplete executive function and general cognitive ability…. and are designed to perterb… are you…. certain in any way,…. that if you were thinking and feeling and living with your organic neurology, that you wouldn’t be clearer, better, stronger, experiencing more acutely every human experience across the whole gamut of feelings? No you are not. You’re in a chemical straight jacket, few percent of you are moderately high functioning, that’s not to say you haven’t been taken for a ride and it is not to say your organic neurology has been scientifically proven to be defective in any way.
There is no known defect. The mechanics of the drug action do not relate to any proven biomechanics of delusion, the name antipsychotic is a misnomer, as is antidepressant, NO DRUG exists that can accurately manipulate specifcal neuronal activity known to be the depression or the delusion. So you’re swallowing toxic crap that acts globally on the neurology, and perterbs it GLOBALLY.
You have no idea how clear, fresh, lucid I am, now that I am off meds. There is no disease to medicate and its all a fraudulent load of rubbish.
You claim to be functioning… Will you ever not let shrinks and fear planted in you by them rob you of ever experiencing your true self? Or are you going to put on the chemical straight jacket every morning? If so, demand biomarkers, demand biological tests. NONE WILL OR CAN BE PROVIDED, of any repute anyway.
[explicit] pharmacaust, globally. And you fools think some phantom organic DEFECT is to blame for the homeless on the streets? No [explicit] way… it’s the way the initial psychosis is treated, the way the people
s identity is smeared needlessly by the label, and seriously [explicit] you all.
I’m an ‘untreated’ former ’schizophrenic’….in everything that ever happened the only objective fact that ever occured, was five days of psychosis, whose organic origin is out the window because it happened days after a death in the family…. All the crap that was forced into my head by the shrinks about my ‘disease’ whose ‘onset’ I had just ‘witnessed’ was false, all the chemical poisoning which occured in the years aftward, was not based on any objective science, and any pressure to not breed, was equally false and misguided.
The power of suggestion, the self fulfilling prophecy is never looked at by the studies… but if they did they would find the terrible truth. Untreated initial psychoses (read also unlabeled hence identity and self esteem not ruined) in the developing world without the application of the ideology of western biopsychiatry, do much better than those who get sick in the west. This proves that the treatments not only work, but harm the situation.
Initial psychoses, are always surrounded by psychosocial stressors, which proves its environmental. The foolish biopsychiatrist biological determinist reductionist morons would say that’s a ‘trigger’ for the mystery ‘gene’ to come into effect, all sounds a bit like magical thinking to me.
Because it is.
If your kid ever gets delusional. Tie them up, gag them, if needed. Listen to them, their narratives do make sense, all the spew that comes out their minds, is stuff that was put in there by experiences they’ve had. The confused state of ‘overwhelm’ is completely human, normal, can happen to ANYONE, not just some subset of MARKED, genetic underclass carriers of alleged ‘gene causation’ there is no gene, has never been found, it can happen to any of you tomorrow, regardless of whether your family has had contact with psychiatry. If it does happen to your kid, keep them away from a psychiatrist, which means keep them away from anybody but you.
It will pass. If you opt to involve psychiatry. The kid will get biologically raped with drugs, as state extralegal powers are applied to force psychiatry’s unproven ideologies on your child, your child will be sedated almost to extinction, sat in a chair, and in this sedated state, the reduced faculty state, will be indoctrinated into thinking they are helpless and have a disease, AND BAD GENES.
The child’s life will then gradually disintegrate, its brain will turn into a prune from the drugs, he will get fat, lose all self esteem as he is forced and condemned to wear the stamp of DEFECT on his forehead for the rest of his life. You will unnecessarily never see him engage as an equal in his community again, and he will likely die young, after a short, sickly, nasty, brutish life.
Never turn to psychiatry to help with overwhelmed minds. They have an ideology, of fear, biological determinism, learned helplessness, and utter destruction. Most importantly they offer no HOPE. And wield the power to destroy all hope forever with the stroke of one man’s pen. Even a rapist gets a jury of his peers, not so the condemned psychotic.
Never present, stay the [explicit] at home, and by god never ever let a shrink near you kid.
I’m going fine, and I don’t see why
you can’t see its easier to blame a gene that hasn’t even been found, than face up to the reality that psychiatry’s relentless faith in its unproven ideas, combined with its social and political power to destroy the psyche in one swoop, combined with misguided lifelong neurological drug perturbment is responsible for the lifelong mentally ill. It is manufactured, by the misguided way the system deals with initial distress and overwhelm. The scale of the truth, the scale of the IATROGENIC harm done, is so large, and so mind boggling, that its easier to blame organic neurology, even when 50 years of searching for a defect in every possible way, has come up with nil.
150 in a study is a [explicit] joke.
Schizophrenic’s reproduction rate is low as it often difficult to find a mate if youre one of the most hated pariah classes of humanity, if it was genetic, it would have been breeded out over millions of years. You suck.
I am a psychiatric survivor and a recovered “schizophrenic”. Schizophrenia is the label given to those whose trauma is not acknowledged, ignored or perhaps when your break down occurs you were unable to talk about it either through repression or fear. If your trauma is acknowledged then you will most likely be given the diagnosis along the lines of a post traumatic stress syndrome which results in a far more humane treatment and inevitably also more choice in the kind of treatment available. Being stigmatized and ostracized from society is less likely to occur if you are given any other kind of label than the schizophrenic label. As a schizophrenic in the western world you are one of the most stigmatized outcasts there is with the result that getting back into society as a valued member of society is almost impossible. Recovery has to be made against incredible odds and not many have the strength determination and shear will to overcome these odds.
Your outrage Bill is so understandable and I do so agree with you in what you say, however personally I have long ago realized that rage drives people away confirming them in their belief system that, in this case genetics and biochemistry is the right answer. I reserve my rage and outrage for those who can rage with me for afterwards to go out calmly and face those who not only are so sure that they have the answer but also the power to enforce their answers on many poor souls who wander lost around the corridors of the institutions and streets today. I argue with the same tools they use to present alternative theories and the theory that perhaps there are other ways of looking at schizophrenia and mental illness.
But most importantly I introduce tools to those who are suffering so as to enable them to re-empower themselves. I give staff and families who have realized that established psychiatry does not have all the answers and who want to change things, tools to help them help those who suffer and slowly but surely a new consciousness is entering into the world of psychiatry. I waste little time with those who are so determined to reject any thought of alternatives and believe that by building up an alternative, alongside established biological psychiatry, we reach far more people and we do not tire ourselves out or use all our energy fighting a headlong battle against biological psychiatry. You and many, many others realize that established psychiatry is not the answer but whereas before there were no alternative answers and very few ways of helping, things have changed and today there is.
Everyone who has even the remotest interest in psychiatry and especially those who wish to work within the psychiatric field should read Mad In America by Roger Whitaker. Marius Romme professor in Psychiatry has done pioneer work on voices and voice hearing one of the so called “major symptoms” of schizophrenia. His research and subsequent help has shown that 2/3rds of those who hear voices never become users of the psychiatric system and have no problems with being a voice hearer living normal lives whatever normal many be. Working with the remaining 1/3 who have problems with their voices, and who do become users of the system usually diagnosed as schizophrenics, is of tremendous help. It is the relationship to the voices that is the problem not the fact that they hear voices.
For those of you suffering locate your nearest hearing voices network and get support from others who know what it is like and come through it. There are many websites for example http://www.intervoiceonline.org who inform enlighten and give hope. Google recovery and schizophrenia.
But above all we must be open to the fact that there is not just one explanation and what works for one person is not necessarily going to work for someone else and forcing them to adhere to your explanation (and here I am referring mostly to the psychiatric system) opens the door to abuse on many levels.
Anyone who has a strong interest in this subject should at least look at the work of Julian Jaynes - The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind.
interesting response
HELLO PEOPLE!
MENTAL ILNESSES ARE NOT REAL!OPEN YOUR EYES! HOW MUCH DO SUPPOSED MEDICINES FOR MENTAL ILNESSE COST? A LOT! MENTAL ILLNESSES ARE THE WAY THAT PHYCIATRISTS MAKE THIER MONEY. DUR DUR DUR!
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