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MIT Engineers World's First Schizophrenic Mice

Posted by kdawson on from the beautiful-little-minds dept.

Frosty Piss writes "MIT researchers have created a schizophrenic mouse that pinpoints a gene variation predisposing people to schizophrenia. Research with the mouse may lead to the first genetically targeted drugs for the disease, which affects 1 percent of the population worldwide. This is the first study that uses animals who demonstrate an array of symptoms observed in schizophrenic patients to identify specific genes that predispose people to the disease."

5 of 159 comments (clear)

  1. Wrong. by EveryNickIsTaken · · Score: 5, Funny

    Pinky (or was it the Brain?) was the first schizophrenic mouse.

  2. This may be a really ignorant question, but... by blcamp · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...exactly how would a human *know* if a mouse is schizophrenic?

    --
    The problem with socialism is that they always run out of other people's money. - Margaret Thatcher
    1. Re:This may be a really ignorant question, but... by sveard · · Score: 5, Funny

      The mouse was seen using an axe hacking through a mouse sized door, shouting .. "Here's Pinky!"

    2. Re:This may be a really ignorant question, but... by SomeDanGuy · · Score: 5, Informative

      Not a bad question. This article title is actually misleading - this is NOT the first model of a 'schizophrenic mouse'; it is the first one to identify a specific gene involved.
      Animal models of these complex psychiatric diseases are always a bit questionable. This one seems to have bad memory formation, attention problems, and poor social skills. The researchers believe that's enough to call it a model of schizophrenia, but that's very difficult to say for sure.

  3. Re:I'm conflicted by HangingChad · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Schizophrenia runs in my family

    That's a tough one. I think it would be worth trading a lot of mice for a cure.

    In the meantime it might be helpful to bring attention to the absolutely abysmal state of mental health care in this country. Something you won't know about unless you or a close relative has a serious mental illness. Half the people you see living on the street are there because they have mental illness and can't navigate the byzantine legal process to get disability benefits. Apparently the right wing thinks they're faking so they not work and drink all day. Even if they could stop trying to self-medicate with alcohol, most wouldn't be able to manage a checkbook even if they could get through the process and there's nowhere for them to go. Your options around here are the crisis line, which is useless, or primary care (the mental hospital). If they don't have health insurance they'll get a T&R (treat and release) and that's how they end up on park benches.

    Most states have closed their assisted living centers and state mental hospitals because of cutbacks in federal funding. Where to you think those people go? They usually get lumped in with people with AIDS and criminals. Great atmosphere for recovery. The druggies steal their meds and they're right back to having street lights sending them messages from the mother ship. It varies. Some states are better than others, but overall mental health care in the US, if you don't have health insurance, sucks ass. That doesn't get much attention, but let them leave "In God We Trust" off a dollar coin and people are all up about that. Hypocrites.

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    That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage