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Schizophrenia: the illness that made us human

D F Horrobin1

  • 1Scotia Research Institute, Stirling, Scotland, UK.

Medical Hypotheses
|August 5, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Human evolution involved significant brain growth and cultural shifts. These changes may be linked to variations in phospholipid biochemistry, potentially explaining both human traits and schizophrenia.

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Area of Science:

  • Human Origins
  • Neuroscience
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Human evolution is marked by distinct phases: brain size increase ~2 million years ago, followed by cultural stagnation, then explosions of creativity ~50-100k years ago and agriculture ~10-15k years ago.
  • The brain and subcutaneous fat are lipid-rich, suggesting lipid metabolism's role in human differentiation from apes.
  • Schizophrenia is linked to increased risks of other disorders but also to high creativity, leadership, and musical skills.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a unifying hypothesis for key human evolutionary developments.
  • To explore the role of lipid and phospholipid metabolism in human brain evolution and cognitive traits.
  • To investigate the potential link between phospholipid biochemistry, schizophrenia, and unique human characteristics.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of human evolutionary milestones.
  • Review of biochemical pathways involving lipids and phospholipids in brain function.
  • Examination of genetic and familial studies on schizophrenia and associated traits.

Main Results:

  • Hypothesizes that changes in lipid metabolism, specifically involving lipoprotein lipases and fatty acid binding proteins, drove brain and fat tissue development.
  • Suggests that variations in phospholipid-metabolizing enzymes influenced neuronal microconnectivity, leading to the creative explosion.
  • Proposes that the traits associated with schizophrenia are linked to phospholipid biochemistry variations that also define human cognitive abilities.

Conclusions:

  • Lipid and phospholipid metabolism alterations are proposed as key drivers differentiating humans from great apes.
  • Variations in phospholipid biochemistry may explain both the emergence of human creativity and the prevalence of schizophrenia.
  • Schizophrenia-associated biochemical pathways could be intrinsically linked to the development of humanity itself.

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