In the 1960's and 1970's, personality and mental illness were
conceptualized in an intertwined psychodynamic model. Biological
psychiatry for many un-weaved that model and took mental illness
for psychiatry and left personality to psychology. This book brings
personality back into biological psychiatry, not merely in the form
of personality disorder but as part of a new intertwined molecular
genetic model of personality and mental disorder. This is the
beginning of a new conceptual paradigm
This breakthrough volume marks the beginning of a new era, an
era made possible by the electrifying pace of discovery and
innovation in the field of molecular genetics. In fact, several
types of genome maps have already been completed, and today's
experts confidently predict that we will have a smooth version of
the sequencing of the human genome -- which contains some 3 billion
base pairs
Such astounding progress helped fuel the development of this
remarkable volume, the first ever to discuss the brand-new -- and
often controversial -- field of molecular genetics and the human
personality. Questioning, critical, and strong on methodological
principles, this volume reflects the point of view of its 35
distinguished contributors -- all pioneers in this burgeoning field
and themselves world-class theoreticians, empiricists, clinicians,
developmentalists, and statisticians.
For students of psychopathology and others bold enough to hold
in abeyance their understandable misgivings about the conjunction
of "molecular genetics" and "human personality," this work offers
an authoritative and up-to-date introduction to the molecular
genetics of human personality. The book, with its wealth of facts,
conjectures, hopes, and misgivings, begins with a preface by
world-renowned researcher and author Irving Gottesman. - The
authors masterfully guide us through Chapter 1, principles and
methods; Chapter 4, animal models for personality; and Chapter 11,
human intelligence as a model for personality, laying the
groundwork for our appreciation of the remaining empirical findings
of human personality qua personality.- Many chapters (6, 7, 9, 11,
and 13) emphasize the neurodevelopmental and ontogenetic aspects of
personality, with a major emphasis on the receptors and
transporters for the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin.
Though these neurotransmitters are a rational starting point now,
the future undoubtedly will bring many other candidate genes that
today cannot even be imagined, given our ignorance of the genes
involved in the prenatal development of the central nervous system.
- Chapter 3 provides an integrative overview of the broad autism
phenotype, and as such will be of special interest to child
psychiatrists. Chapters 5, 8, and 10 offer enlightening information
on drug and alcohol abuse. Chapter 14 discusses variations in
sexuality.- Adding balance and mature perspectives on how all the
chapters complement and sometimes challenge one another are Chapter
2, written by a major figure in the renaissance of the relevance to
psychopathology of both genetics and personality; Chapters 15-17,
informed critical appraisals citing concerns and cautions about
premature applications of this information in the policy arena; and
Chapter 18, a judicious contemplation by the editors themselves of
this promising -- and, to some, alarming -- field.
Clear and meticulously researched, this eminently satisfying
work is written to introduce the subject to postgraduate students
just beginning to develop their research skills, to interested
psychiatric practitioners, and to informed laypersons with some
scientific background.
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