“There is no genius without a touch of madness. This well-known quote from Aristotle is now more than self-righteous poetry. A study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience has just given a scientific explanation for this association between creativity and mental illnesses.
In a sample of over 86,000 Icelanders, researchers showed that genetic mutations associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia or bipolar disorder could also be linked to increased creativity. This genetic association has also been found in other studies involving nearly 9,000 Swedes and 18,500 Dutch.
The researchers defined creative people as “people who are able to have an innovative approach using mental processes that are different from the dominant modes of thought or expression. In their study, they only included members of national artistic societies of dancers, actors, musicians or even writers. They also took into account the differences in intelligence quotient and educational level of the study participants, as well as the existence of relatives with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, to avoid bias.
“Our study supports the idea of a direct role played by genetic factors on creativity,” conclude the authors. Their results are all the more convincing since they found no genetic mutation in representatives of five other non-artistic professions (farmers, fishermen, employees, manual workers and sellers).
Asked about this study, several experts quoted by the Genetic Expert News Service, however, show some reservations. “The crux of the matter is whether being a member of an arts society means being creative,” says Dr. Vishwajit L. Nimagonkar, professor of psychiatry and human genetics at the University of Pittsburgh ( UNITED STATES). For him, creativity remains “extremely difficult to define. »
David Cultler, professor and assistant in the department of human genetics at Emory University in Atlanta (USA) notes that “the results are robust but very limited. He further adds that the genes implicated in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are “probably involved in all sorts of neurological and cognitive functions, not just those related to artistic abilities.” »
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