Thaindian News

London, Sep 29 (IANS) History is teeming with examples of great artists and men who acted in peculiar ways, signifying either madness or sheer brilliance. In an attempt to understand whether psychosis and creativity are two sides of the same coin, a Hungarian psychiatrist has examined the link between the two.
“Molecular factors that are loosely associated with severe mental disorders, but are present in many healthy people may have an advantage, enabling us to think more creatively,” says Szabolcs Keri of Semmelweis University, Hungary.

Keri focused on neuregulin 1, a gene that normally plays a role in vital brain processes, including development and strengthening communication between neurons (nerve cells).

However, a variant of this gene (or genotype) is associated with a greater risk of developing mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Accordingly, researchers recruited volunteers who thought they were very creative and accomplished. They underwent a battery of tests, including assessments for intelligence and creativity.

They were asked to respond to a series of unusual questions (suppose clouds had strings attached to them which hang down to earth. What would happen?) and were scored based on the originality and flexibility of their answers.

They also completed a questionnaire regarding their lifetime creative achievements before the researchers took blood samples.

The results show a clear link between neuregulin 1 and creativity. Volunteers with the specific variant of this gene were more likely to have higher scores on creativity assessment and also greater lifetime creative achievements than volunteers with a different form of the gene.

Keri points out that this is the first study to show that a genetic variant associated with psychosis may have some beneficial functions.

These findings appeared in the journal Psychological Science.