colonel@sunybcs.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) (11/10/85)
> Andrew Fine writes: > >Is manic depression inheritable along the male line, and is it linked with > >very high intelligence? It seems that the intelligence is dominant > >( has been for at least three generations to my knowledge ), so if I > >get married and have children, should I be on the lookout for "gifted" > >traits in the children, and if the children are undergoing accelerated > >developement, should I be on the lookout for "irregular" behaivior? > > The inheritance of both mental illness and intelligence is *extremely* > complex. They are *not* simple dominant-recessive traits, like > some forms of baldness, albinism, and dwarfism. (Forms of mental > illness caused by specific metabolic problems may be simple dominant- > recessive traits, but these are rarely problems in this country, since > the underlying metabolic problems can be identified and treated.) ... It may comfort Mr. Fine to know that many psychologists belive that this form of insanity is not congenital at all, but is transmitted in families simply by encouraging unsound habits of behavior and thought in babes and toddlers. This implies that if you know what's wrong with YOU and overcome it, your kids will probably turn out all right. -- Col. G. L. Sicherman UU: ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel CS: colonel@buffalo-cs BI: csdsicher@sunyabva