Of course, in this case the issue seems like it's caused by a general deficiency of single protein, maybe that's a good sign for adapting the treatment to humans.
Yes. Not a drug in the typical sense. Simply replacing the protein in which the mice are deficient (that was identified by measuring levels in human spinal fluid).
It's been awhile since I read about this stuff...is schizophrenia a spectrum disorder like autism? If so, I wonder if there's a point on the spectrum where it's not worth treating it because of possible side effects.
I feel like our society over-pathologizes a lot of stuff and it would be a shame if we "cured" something that doesn't need a cure.
I liked how this blog[0] describes it. Schizophrenia itself isn't a spectrum, but rather you have varying levels of schizophrenia risk genes. They have positive fitness functions (creativity, cognitive flexibility, linguistic skill) until you cross the threshold to schizophrenia.
Also there's huge overlap in symptoms between bipolar I with psychosis, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia. People sometimes move around between these diagnoses throughout treatment, different doctors have different opinions, patient behavior changes, etc.
I personally think these symptoms come about through many different causes and the labels are somewhat inadequate. They capture a symptom profile rather than a full understanding.
Among those who have had first episode psychosis, the first break, there is precisely zero point on the spectrum where it's not worth treating it.
A tragic illness that wreaks havoc on the lives of the individual, and often those around them. Employment rate in the single digits, for competitive jobs.
A part of the spectrum where research shows there is nothing to cure is schizotypy/apophenia and magical thinking, but only when paired with conscientiousness and high intelligence. The combination of these traits may be linked to creative genius. But those people don't have schizophrenia.
The other Serious Mental Illness, bipolar, is far less debilitating when medicated. Esp. Type II. And linked to creative success, esp. in the arts and when paired with high verbal intelligence.
Kanye, Churchill, Cobain, Woolf, Hemingway, Van Gogh.
John Gartner, psychologist @ Hopkins, wrote a book about 20 years ago called The Hypomanic Edge.
The thesis somewhat comical yet believable, America has tons of folks on the bipolar spectrum, experiencing low level hypomania. The idea is you have to be slightly mad to leave home and travel to a distant land with nothing. Risk taking, competitiveness, etc.
As far as curing something that doesn't need a cure. There's a conversation to be had with mild forms of bipolar, especially if it never tips into full mania. Schizophrenia, after the first psychotic break, there isn't.
And the lives of those even when medicated is often really, really hard.
Very strange how HN elevates news about random drug candidates at very early stages of development.
There is a very active landscape of people developing/validating 'biomarkers' for neurological and psychiatric disorders and developing drugs specifically for those populations with the biomarker present; this news is far from extraordinary.
I find this very suspect that a biomarker for schizophrenia is found before "black" gene/biomarker is found. It sounds like a setup for mass gaslighting and institutionalization by big pharma. Society is always looking for an easy way to institutionalize people it doesn't agree with. This is the big tech version.
54 comments
Of course, in this case the issue seems like it's caused by a general deficiency of single protein, maybe that's a good sign for adapting the treatment to humans.
I feel like our society over-pathologizes a lot of stuff and it would be a shame if we "cured" something that doesn't need a cure.
[0] https://www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/schizophrenia-is-the-pri...
> is schizophrenia a spectrum disorder like autism?
I'm a non expert but I believe some people are starting to see it that way. See: https://www.google.com/search?q=schizophrenia+spectrum+disor...
Also there's huge overlap in symptoms between bipolar I with psychosis, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia. People sometimes move around between these diagnoses throughout treatment, different doctors have different opinions, patient behavior changes, etc.
I personally think these symptoms come about through many different causes and the labels are somewhat inadequate. They capture a symptom profile rather than a full understanding.
Among those who have had first episode psychosis, the first break, there is precisely zero point on the spectrum where it's not worth treating it.
A tragic illness that wreaks havoc on the lives of the individual, and often those around them. Employment rate in the single digits, for competitive jobs.
A part of the spectrum where research shows there is nothing to cure is schizotypy/apophenia and magical thinking, but only when paired with conscientiousness and high intelligence. The combination of these traits may be linked to creative genius. But those people don't have schizophrenia.
The other Serious Mental Illness, bipolar, is far less debilitating when medicated. Esp. Type II. And linked to creative success, esp. in the arts and when paired with high verbal intelligence.
Kanye, Churchill, Cobain, Woolf, Hemingway, Van Gogh.
John Gartner, psychologist @ Hopkins, wrote a book about 20 years ago called The Hypomanic Edge.
The thesis somewhat comical yet believable, America has tons of folks on the bipolar spectrum, experiencing low level hypomania. The idea is you have to be slightly mad to leave home and travel to a distant land with nothing. Risk taking, competitiveness, etc.
As far as curing something that doesn't need a cure. There's a conversation to be had with mild forms of bipolar, especially if it never tips into full mania. Schizophrenia, after the first psychotic break, there isn't.
And the lives of those even when medicated is often really, really hard.
There is a very active landscape of people developing/validating 'biomarkers' for neurological and psychiatric disorders and developing drugs specifically for those populations with the biomarker present; this news is far from extraordinary.
The real news is when these reach FDA approval.