Schizophrenia Explained

Wow, Jeff. Are you reading my mind?

I heard a report about this yesterday on NPR and made a mental note to track down the show. Thanks!

This is such a fascinating and exciting field — epigenetics, the study of what causes genes to express (or fail to express).

There is a lot of storm and fury about treating children (and adults) for brain disorders but regrettably little on the epigenetic factors that can contribute to them. The more we know, the more we can prevent lifelong problems.

Many women of child-bearing age are deficient in the “building blocks” of the neurological system, for example — potassium, iron, magnesium, calcium. We submit fetuses to sonograms without knowing what effect they have. And today, a study came out showing that C-sections have an adverse effect on neuroimmunological functions — the very thing Insel et al refer to in that article you provide. (Frighteningly, C-sections have gotten almost ubiquitous among doctors and mothers who want to control their schedules and among an increasing number of young women who are “afraid” of pain in childbirth).

Gina

Reading minds…as Scott Hutson would say, it’s another one of those “gifts” courtesy of A.D.D.!

But on a serious note, I believe we are on the cusp of some major breakthroughs in our understanding of the brain, genetics, the interaction between genes and environment and much more. In 25 years what we will know in medical science will make what we currently know seem barbaric by comparison.

Gina and Jeff,

As you see Gina, Jeff is a mind reader! Because that IS what I would say(chuckle).

Have Y’all read “THE BRAIN that changes ITSELF” by Norman Doidge,M.D.? It was a gift from my mother in law,that came with PBS’s “The Brain Fitness Program”,She purchased for herself(I think she realy did it for me).

It is very interesting and tells of findings discovered via surgical expierements on monkeys etc..(animal rights ppl probably would’nt like it)but it also talks about the conflicting opinions of scientists from the old days, and how stubborn some were to accept the facts of new findings etc…And the importance of keeping an open mind about these things.

I am persuaded to beleive, mental illness can be treated successfully(not cured yet),but we have to at least try.

Scott.