---
title: "Psych News Alert: Indicators of Mental Illness Found in the Developing Brain"
description: Most genes associated with mental illness, including those previously linked with autism and schizophrenia, are expressed before birth. So f...
image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/DNA_85167856-Jun-24-2025-06-06-29-2398-PM.jpg
---

 11/1/11 12:00 AM

# Indicators of Mental Illness Found in the Developing Brain

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert)

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Most genes associated with mental illness, including those previously linked with autism and schizophrenia, are expressed before birth. So finds a new study led by Yale University and featured in the October 27 *Nature*. An international team of researchers identified when and where in the brain genes were expressed in more than 1,000 tissue samples taken from 57 subjects aged from 40 days after conception to 82 years old. According to Yale, the study’s findings show how much of the human brain is shaped in the womb. Further exploration of the genetic foundation of mental illnesses can be found in *[Developmental Psychopathology and Wellness](http://www.appi.org/SearchCenter/Pages/SearchDetail.aspx?ItemId=62279)* and *[Psychopathology in the Genome and Neuroscience Era](http://www.appi.org/SearchCenter/Pages/SearchDetail.aspx?ItemId=62242)*, both by American Psychiatric Publishing.

(Image: Gl0ck/Shutterstock.com)

[schizophrenia](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/schizophrenia), [autism](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism), [mental illness](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/mental-illness), [DNA](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/dna), [genes](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/genes)

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[schizophrenia](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/schizophrenia), [autism](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism), [genetics](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/genetics), [schizophrenia genes](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/schizophrenia-genes), [intellectual disabilities](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/intellectual-disabilities), [mutations](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/mutations), [NMDAR](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/nmdar), [Michael Owen](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/michael-owen), [Cardiff](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/cardiff)

## [New Findings on Genetic Mutations Shed Light on Schizophrenia—and More](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/01/new-findings-on-genetic-mutations-shed.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 1/22/14 12:00 AM

Much of the genetic risk for schizophrenia is inherited, but not all. Now, a study finds that a...

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[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/DNA_Final_75049090-Jun-24-2025-06-16-57-1413-PM.gif?height=200&name=DNA_Final_75049090-Jun-24-2025-06-16-57-1413-PM.gif) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/06/schizophrenia-and-epilepsy-may-run-in.html)

[schizophrenia](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/schizophrenia), [bipolar disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/bipolar-disorder), [epilepsy](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/epilepsy), [genes](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/genes)

## [Schizophrenia and Epilepsy May Run in Families](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/06/schizophrenia-and-epilepsy-may-run-in.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 6/4/12 12:00 AM

Schizophrenia and epilepsy co-occur at elevated rates within individuals and within families,...

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[psychiatric illness](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatric-illness), [genes](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/genes)

## [Study Finds Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Associated With Psychotic, Other Psychiatric Disorders](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/03/study-finds-chromosome-22q112-deletion.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 3/12/14 12:00 AM

A large international research project has validated previous findings that chromosome 22q11.2...

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/03/study-finds-chromosome-22q112-deletion.html)

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