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Schizophrenia Awareness Week Kaleidoscopic Cats
16 November 2013

Kaleidoscopic Cats

Famous for his humorous portrayal of cats, English Edwardian artist Louis Wain battled with mental illness throughout his life. Pictured here are six cats he painted, which psychiatrist Walter Maclay arranged into a series (top left to bottom right) that in his view illustrated Wain’s deterioration. Whether Wain (1860-1939) suffered from the disorder we now call schizophrenia (a term first used in 1908) is still a matter for debate. However, a biological explanation linking creativity and mental illness is beginning to emerge. One example includes a variant of the neuregulin 1 gene. In humans this is linked to psychosis, but it also correlates with creativity in people of high intellectual and academic ability. This observation, while helping to dispel some of the myths surrounding mental illness, may go some way to explaining why psychotic disorders prevail across generations.

Written by Brona McVittie

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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