Antidepressants Cause Autism-Like
Gene Expression in Fish

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Prozac, Effexor, and/or carbamazepine induce gene expression patterns in the brains of fathead minnows that mimic those thought to be associated with autism in humans, according to a study published yesterday (June 6, 2012) in PLoS One. The study found that the pattern of gene expression was specific to idiopathic (heredity x environment) autism, but not other autism diagnoses associated with specific mutations. The authors write that the findings are consistent with a theorized role of elevated serotonergic neurodevelopmental perturbations during pregnancy that may be associated with a dramatic increase of idiopathic autism. Article →  Related Items: New Scientist: Antidepressants in Water Trigger Autism Genes in Fish The Telegraph: Autistic Fish: the Anatomy of a (Potential) Health Scare

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Kermit Cole
Kermit Cole
Kermit Cole, MFT, founding editor of Mad in America, works in Santa Fe, New Mexico as a couples and family therapist. Inspired by Open Dialogue, he works as part of a team and consults with couples and families that have members identified as patients. His work in residential treatment — largely with severely traumatized and/or "psychotic" clients — led to an appreciation of the power and beauty of systemic philosophy and practice, as the alternative to the prevailing focus on individual pathology. A former film-maker, he has undergraduate and master's degrees in psychology from Harvard University, as well as an MFT degree from the Council for Relationships in Philadelphia. He is a doctoral candidate with the Taos Institute and the Free University of Brussels. You can reach him at [email protected].

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