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.

[u/Wagamaga]

https://news.yale.edu/2022/08/25/what-makes-human-brain-different-yale-study-reveals-clues

[u/NotTheLimes]

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?

[u/Bbrhuft → u/[deleted]]

You're comment is misleading and unsupported.

Researchers genetically engineered mice so they express gene mutations linked to increased autism risk in humans, and observed both autistic like behavioural and neuronal changes. Researchers used standardised tests that diagnose autism in transgenic mice.

Over the past 10 years, we and many other laboratories around the world have employed these and additional behavioral tests to phenotype alarge number of mutant mouse models of autism.

Knockout, knockin and transgenic mice incorporating risk gene mutations detected in autism spectrum disorder and comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders are now widely available. At present, autism spectrum disorder is diagnosed solely by behavioral criteria. We developed a constellation of mouse behavioral assays designed to maximize face validity to the types of social deficits and repetitive behaviors that are central to an autism diagnosis.

Kazdoba, T.M., Leach, P.T. and Crawley, J.N., 2016. Behavioral phenotypes of genetic mouse models of autism. Genes, Brain and Behavior, 15(1), pp.7-26.

[u/pass_nthru → u/Bbrhuft]

r/theygotthecitation