Common Gene Version Optimizes Thinking -- But With A Possible Downside

... Most people inherit a version of a gene that optimizes their brain's thinking circuitry, yet also appears to increase risk for schizophrenia, a severe mental illness marked by impaired thinking. The seeming paradox emerged from the first study to explore the effects of variation in the human gene for a brain master switch, DARPP-32. The gene impacts the way two key brain regions exchange information, affecting a range of functions from general intelligence to attention. ...