It has been hinted for quite some time that psychosis and creativity bear certain similarities (history is full of crazy or eccentric geniuses like Vincent van Gogh). Many studies have concluded that highly creative people tend to have more “cognitive disinhibition” than the rest of the people, which leads to them filtering much less the stimuli or data that surround them, a characteristic that also occurs in psychopathic disorders mild.
Now, a new study carried out by a team of researchers from deCODE Genetics (based in Iceland), specialized in the study of the genome and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at Kings College London (United Kingdom) has revealed that genes associated with creativity can increase the risk of developing bipolar disorder and schizophrenia .
For their study, the scientists analyzed the results of a study with a sample of 86,292 people regarding the genetic risk of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In addition, the aspect of “being creative” was added in all those people belonging to the artistic guild, whether they were dancers, musicians, writers, actors or visual artists.
Comparison of the results revealed that those defined as creative had a significantly higher genetic risk for these psychiatric disorders than those not considered creative.
“For most psychiatric disorders, little is known about the underlying biological pathways that lead to illness. One idea that has gained credibility is that these disorders reflect extremes of the normal spectrum of human behavior, rather than each being a distinct psychiatric illness. By knowing that healthy behaviors, such as creativity, share their biology with psychiatric illnesses, we gain a better understanding of the thought processes that lead a person to become ill and develop a mental illness ”, explains Robert Poder, co-author of the study.
The work has been published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
