The Biological Relationship of Genius and Madness
Arthur Schopenhauer: “Genius lives only one story above madness.”
One of the most important etiological perspectives from which the scope and effects of mental illness can be evaluated and defined lies in its biological roots. Often, in tracing the genetic disposition of a mental illness, patterns and correlations can emerge.
One such interesting pattern is the development of artistic genius along with mental diseases such as manic-depressive disorders or psychotic disorders. Many famous poets and writers such as Melville, Blake, Shelley, Byron and even Coleridge showed definite symptoms of the genetically influenced maniac- depressive disorder.
Manic-depressive disorders perpetuate genealogically. This is because the symptoms of the disorder are actually the result of an inappropriate or misguided synthesis of certain neurotransmitters.
DNA and certain functional sections called genes that encode for specific proteins direct the synthesis of neurotransmitters. An association study details this very process, exploring the link between the tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) gene and the predisposition to manic-depressive…
