Searching for the Seeds of Psychosis

Each month The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation hosts a Meet the Scientist Webinar featuring a researcher discussing the latest findings related to mental illness. In August, 2017, the Foundation featured Dr. Dolores Malaspina of the NYU Langone Medical Center.

Description: Dr. Malaspina presented the findings that mistakenly led American psychiatrists to believe that bad parenting caused psychosis in children a half century ago. New findings showed how the ages of parents could influence the risk to children, independent of any psychological issues.

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[annalisette]

Concerning some of the genetic changes that underpin psychotic disorders, I wonder if some or any of those also affect survival fitness? For instance, when people existed or subsisted more as hunter/gatherers or primitive farmers, might those with such genetic mutations have succumbed to diseases or stresses of that more rigorous life? As life has gotten easier over the millennia, all sorts of less than optimal genetics can survive.

Or might some of the mutations confer an evolutionary advantage in other aspects of life? Roughly, as I recall, a certain part of the immune system was developed to deal with internal parasites. Archaeology digs of ancient Rome and medieval Europe seem to show that most people had intestinal worms in those times. As hygiene improved and medicines were developed, that segment of the immune system has nothing to do but tear into a healthy body. I forget the exact conclusion but I think it was that without parasites to control, the immune system creates asthma in those who are susceptible.

Dr. Robert Sapolsky (Stanford University), in a lecture from about fifteen years ago, theorized that a reason schizophrenia had not been bred out of the population was because a milder presentation was a "shizotypal" personality. He suggested the schizotypal personalities were prized as shamans and spiritual leaders. That sort of behaviour only became a problem when there were too many within the village or population, or the cases were so severe that societies could not and would not support the lives of such people.

I realize this idea is not supported by the latest research as presented in today's video. I think a great deal of Dr. Sapolsky's work and perhaps part of his observation is still valid. Perhaps asylums for mentally ill were created several centuries ago because society no longer limited the existence of people affected with psychoses. Perhaps more primitive societies had ways of shortening lifespans of badly affected humans, with excuses that they were eradicating devils or demons or evil spirits. The Age of Enlightenment reduced some of this thinking.

[fionafoley]

Thank you. This was very informative.Thabks for the good advice at the end.It is interesting the exploration between stress and inflammation.

[vickymasterson]

I read a book from Doctor Bryan ...I had my genes tested at 23 and me showing increased risk for celiac disease I always felt exhausted after eating bread ...he had a study testing mothers blood that had been frozen and it showed antibodies towards Gliadin .

[danhudson]

I feel like this is merely an opinion from someone with sychosis.