New order for thought disorders

摘要

Can we really learn about complex human psychiatric disorders through genetic manipulations in mice? Yes, according to studies of how altering the gene encoding neuregulin 1 affects signalling in the mouse brain. Schizophrenia is a spectrum of disorders. Its causes lie in a complex interplay of genetic, prenatal and developmental factors, as well as precipitating events in later life. Given the complexity of this uniquely human disorder, surely it is hubris to think that poking around at a rodent gene or two could shed light on the processes underlying it?