Genetic Predisposition for Schizophrenia

Just stumbled across this article on the front page of the New York Times this morning about individuals with a genetic predisposition for developing schizophrenia, typically during late adolescence:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/28/h...column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

Doesn't seem to me that this really overturns Clancy McKenzie's theory about a two trauma process behind the manifestation of schizophrenia or for that matter PTSD. Sounds like people who develop schizophrenia during late adolescence may have prefrontal cortexes that are less robust due to inherited genetic traits and therefore less able to repress the old memories of childhood trauma. IOWs: The cause of schizophrenia is still environmental and social and develops from childhood trauma experienced during the first 28 month of brain development outside the womb.

It sure strikes me how much the popular press and the popular imagination is always looking for a quantifiable genetic "cause" behind behavior and disease instead of seeing how the behavior of genes is inextricably tied up with behavior and environment. Blame it on the insurance companies!

 

Thanks for posting that, Bruce. It's a very interesting theory about the development of schizo. I blame insurance and also pharmaceutical companies for a lot of misinformation about health and keeping healthy. Some doctors, too... those who are pill pushers and don't tell us about natural ways to heal. I put TMS MindBody healing in that category of ways to heal without medication or surgery.

 

Well if the functions Freud called the ego and superego are performed by the prefrontal cortex, it sure sounds like some people have a harder time repressing their emotions than others. Big discovery!