Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder may share genetic roots with creativity
Genes linked to creativity could also increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, according to new research carried out by researchers from deCODE Genetics and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London.
It has long been suggested that creativity and psychosis show certain similarities, with notable examples of artists such as Vincent Van Gogh who themselves suffered from psychiatric illnesses. Previous studies have shown that psychiatric disorders, particularly bipolar disorder, tend to be found in the same families where creative professions are common. However, until now it had not been possible to pinpoint whether this was simply due to shared environmental factors or socioeconomic status.
Although creativity is difficult to define for scientific purposes, researchers consider a creative person to be someone who takes novel approaches requiring cognitive processes that are different from prevailing modes of thought or expression. Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are disorders of thoughts and emotions, which means that those affected show alterations in cognitive and emotional processing.
Genetic risk scores for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were examined in a sample of 86,292 individuals from the general population of Iceland, in collaboration with researchers from deCODE Genetics, who provided the data. In the study, creative individuals were defined as those belonging to the national artistic societies of actors, dancers, musicians, visual artists and writers.
Researchers found that genetic risk scores for both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were significantly higher in those defined as creative individuals, with scores approximately halfway between the general population and those with the disorders themselves.
These findings lend support to the direct influence of genetic factors on creativity, as opposed to the effect of sharing an environment with individuals who have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
Source & further reading:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/news/records/2015/June/Schizophrenia-and-bipolar-disorder-may-share-genetic-roots-with-creativity.aspx
#neuroscience #bipolardisorder #schizophrenia #creativity
"But we're never gonna survive, unless, we get a little crazy." - Seal
ReplyDeleteI know a friend who is extremely creative thinker, yet her genetic brother is schizophrenic, which would support the hypothesis.
ReplyDeleteI think in problem solving through creativity, there is both divergent and convergent thinking. Some people have imbalance between the two -- they think up too much, and then are unable to abstract it all into something simple. I think, such high-creativity & low-abstractivity minds are at risk of becoming delusional. Solution? I guess - learn abstract math, and then, whatever field you are passionate about :)
I always have an evolutionary selection question in my head with 'negative' traits in the gene pool like these ones. Why do traits like Schizophrenia in the gene pool persist? I previously heard a theory that it may be marginally selected for (and so persists marginally in the gene pool) because in primitive cultures (like the present ones) delusional behaviour can be valued. Watch some born again christians (I refuse to capitalize religions) speaking tongues and you have to think the theory has wings.
ReplyDeleteBut the misfiring relationship to creativity implied by this article suggests a complementary or better theory.
There's a wealth of misfiring behaviours evidenced in the biosphere. For example, roosters getting sexually excited by paper representation of hens, and the human predilection for adult videos. In both cases the essential sexual urge behaviour is completely 'misfiring', but it rides as a consequence on the primary evolution-selected behaviour.
On a side note, misfiring has a whole different meaning in this context. ;)
I'm bipolar and my mom had schizophrenia I would like to no more about please.
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