Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Recently in the headlines

1 comment:

  1. An article people might find interesting is the following where two researchers suggest that various mental/cognitive disorders may reflect an (evolutionary) struggle between the parents' genes (link below). Of most interest might be the autism/schizophrenia antithesis where these are proposed to be epigenetic poles of the same genes being involved. In the case of schizophrenia, the mother's genes have upset the usual equilibrium, in the case of autism, the father's. Researchers note whereas there is gaze aversion in autism, there is paranoid belief that all eyes are upon the schizophrenic person. Likewise, the autistic person has a very limited development of a theory of mind whereas the schizophrenic person sees intentions and meaning all over the place. Not mentioned but obviously also relevant is the limited expressive language of the autistic person and the excessive expressive language of the schizophrenic. Relevant links are:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/health/research/11brain.html

    This research builds upon Haig's (now well supported) theory about the struggle between the mother and fetus during pregnancy -
    http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/14/health/14preg.html?_r=1)

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