Astral Codex Ten Podcast Contra Skolnick On Schizophrenia Microbes
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Jul 7, 2025 A captivating discussion unfolds around the surprising potential link between gut microbes and schizophrenia. Experts debate the validity of genetic explanations, revealing intriguing evidence about the low twin concordance rates. A specific gut bacterium, Ruminococcus gnavus, is highlighted for its production of psychoactive substances that could impact mental health. The conversation challenges traditional views, advocating for a more complex understanding of schizophrenia that incorporates both genetic and environmental influences, urging listeners to rethink what they know.
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Schizophrenia Genetics Explained
- Twin concordance rates around 30-40% support schizophrenia as a polygenic disorder with about 80% genetic variance.
- Missing heritability likely involves rare variants or gene-environment interactions, typical of polygenic traits, not proof against genetics.
Schizophrenia Inheritance Is Genetic
- Schizophrenia's familial pattern is genetic, proven by higher concordance in identical twins than fraternal twins.
- Microbial inheritance does not explain this pattern or why no adoptive parent-to-child correlation exists.
Gut Microbe Levels Reflect Medication
- Elevated Ruminococcus gnavus in schizophrenia is likely a medication effect, not cause, since participants were medicated.
- Antipsychotic treatments disrupt the gut microbiome, complicating causal claims about microbes causing schizophrenia.