Autism and schizophrenia could be genetic opposites

New Scientist. ^ | 02 December 2009 | Bob Holmes

[neverdem]

Autism and schizophrenia may be two sides of the same coin, suggests a review of genetic data associated with the conditions. The finding could help design complementary treatments for the two disorders.

Though autism was originally described as a form of schizophrenia a century ago, evidence for a link has remained equivocal. One theory puts the conditions at opposite ends of a developmental spectrum.

To investigate, Bernard Crespi, an evolutionary biologist at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada, and colleagues gathered data on all known genetic variants associated with each condition, then looked for patterns of co-occurrence.

The researchers found four regions in the genome which dramatically affect the risk of autism or schizophrenia. Called "copy-number variants", these are stretches of DNA with seemingly accidental duplications or deletions. Crespi's team found that the presence of a particular variant – a duplication, say – was often associated with autism while the opposite variation – a deletion of the genetic material – was linked to schizophrenia...

[neverdem]

Comparative genomics of autism and schizophrenia

[neverdem]

This could be useful. It remains to be seen.

[fightinJAG]

Just on an observational level, both autism and schziophrenia behaviors have as aspect of withdrawal from the external reality and the creation, or dwelling in, an internal reality.

I did not know that autism had once been thought of as a variation of schziophrenia.

[sassy steel magnolia]

very interesting. I hope research continues on both of these conditions, as I personally know families with children who are either autistic or schizophrenic. Both conditions are very difficult to initially diagnose and then treat with any kind of success. Both conditions are not just those of the individual, but the families suffer as well, as they try to manage their daily lives along with the sporadic crises that erupt from the children with these conditions. Anything that can be done to help those who have autism to better function in society and those who have schizophrenia to maintain a healthy balance of their meteoric mental states is a blessing. I’m glad there are researchers like Crespi...