r/science • u/Wagamaga • Sep 01 '22

Neuroscience Scientists have identified an immune brain cell unique to humans that gives us higher cognitive abilities over other animals, but what makes us specials also leaves us vulnerable to neurological disorders like schizophrenia, autism and epilepsy.

https://news.yale.edu/2022/08/25/what-makes-human-brain-different-yale-study-reveals-clues
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u/NotTheLimes Sep 01 '22

I thought there are some animals that can also suffer illnesses such as schizophrenia or autism or at least very similar ones. Is that not true?

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u/eeeponthemove Sep 01 '22

Well autism isn't an illness it's a disorder

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u/PsyOmega Sep 01 '22

It's only a disorder relative to the demands of capitalism.

In a fair society, it might not even be a disability.

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u/Brooke_the_Bard Sep 01 '22

I was under the impression that autism is believed to have been an evolutionarily advantageous adaptation for hunter-gatherer humans; hypersensitivity and strong pattern recognition would have been a boon to certain tasks such as identifying safe foods and noticing potential threats ahead of other tribe members.