Comments on: Studies of gene regulation in brain development may lead to new treatment of mental disorders

By: asiwel

asiwel — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 19:35:18 +0000

I would certainly agree that “defects” – genetic or otherwise – have tragic repercussions and should be corrected/ameliorated whenever possible. But certain types of troubling conditions, such as autism, even though linked to various genes, alleles, or clusters of genes, also are likely to have developmental and experiential roots as well. These conditions are not well-defined (i.e., DSM 5). The Nov, 2012, edition of Scientific American, for instance, has a full interesting article entitled “Autism and the Technical Mind” by Simon Baron-Cohen who directs the Autism Research Center at the University of Cambridge which is worth reading here.

By: Bri

Bri — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 04:06:52 +0000

@Asiwel: I must admit you bring up a valid point. An affliction such as schizophrenia has most likely been conserved genetically because it can create aspects of genius( A Beautiful Mind). Autism also is expressed at a wide range of functionalities. Even a malady such as PTSD is responsible for MPD( Multiple Personality Disorder). Often when multiples are reintegrated they lack the range of expressiveness that they exhibited in the multiple state. As I reflect on it, I think the treatments will have to be integrated in a cautious manner. Sever cases should be addressed first, and as a greater understanding of the effects , and ramifications comes about, then the decision as to what level of disfunction should be treated. All these diseases can have tragic repercussions on families. It’s too important to leave unaltered.

By: asiwel

asiwel — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 01:26:02 +0000

Correcting a potential genetic “brain disorder” diagnosed in an infant to “prevent” something like autistic behavior in the future as a child and/or adult … is a bit different from correcting a faulty heart valve in the same infant so he or she can live to become a child or an adult and fulfill whatever potential is there to whatever degree. It is also quite different than encountering an individual (child or adult) who has a fully formed personality but exhibits autistic behavior .. and then trying to help alleviate that problem while leaving the psyche intact. Even I would have ethical problems with this. It is one thing to “enhance” the potential of an infant, say, by augmentation. It is quite another to “correct/prevent” a predicted mental/social condition that is ill-defined and often linked to leadership, creativity, etc. by pre- or post-natal genetic reprogramming. This sort of thing does indeed “have the potential to change the paradigm of drug design.”

By: Bri

Bri — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 01:11:03 +0000

I’m surprised that this article hasn’t received any posts. This research is a milestone in the understanding of gene expression and brain functionality. It may help answer why autism is do rampant nowadays. In terms of mental disorders and treatment, it opens the door for prenatal testing and treatment of many brain diseases. It also can help give us SN understanding of brain function, and how that evolved. Overall this research is an excellent example of taking genetic code and figuring out how it ultimately is expressed. This coupled with environmental epigenetics will give us insight into a vast amount of brain disorders, end why some people have a predisposition towards curtain behavioral characteristics. Absolutely astonishing.