Are You Musical or Tone Deaf? Genes May Be Key

A study by Finnish scientist suggests that the genes that influence our inner ear may play a significant role in musical ability. They identified specific genetic regions that may be associated with abilities to perceive music, appreciate music and even preform music. The genomes of 76 families were analyzed, with 15 of the families included professional musicians. Along with the genetic testing, an aptitude test was given to measure a person's ability to perceive perfect pitch. The researchers came to the conclusion that the associated genome area were largely located on chromosome 4. The ability to preform music is not located on one gene however, which makes it more difficult to understand.
Just like many other skills that people acquire over years of practice, there is an environmental factor that is involved with musical ability. There is still many unknowns about the science behind creativity, just learning this much about the genetic workings in music is a big step.


 


Original article: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2014/03/12/are-you-musical-or-tone-deaf-genes-may-be-key

Related article: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/science/2006-08-27-creative-brain_x.htm

Artistic tendencies linked to ‘schizophrenia gene’

A genetic mutation that is linked to psychosis and schizophrenia is also shown to influence creativity. This may be one of the reasons why mutations that increase the chances of a person having a mental illness have not been filtered out of our genes. The gene neuregulin 1 has been linked to mental illness and a single DNA letter mutation of this gene has been linked to psychosis, poor memory, and sensitivity to criticism.



Salvador Dali's mental disorders were also the key to his creativity.

This study genotyped 200 adults who were considered and scored to be creative. People who had two copies of the neuregulin 1 mutation had higher scores on their creativity than did those who had either one or no copies of the neuregulin 1 mutation. How this affects creativity has yet to be determined however, the likelihood of having schizotypal traits with two copies of the mutation was no more likely than the other participants. It is suggested that this mutation could dampen the prefrontal cortex that helps to control mood and behavior. It could make come people very creative and make others psychotic. Intelligence could help to determine which of these occurs, with smarter people having a tendency to be more creative and less smart people having more psychotic issues. Those with high intelligence and psychosis tend to have a better time dealing with their psychosis and expressing it.

I find this information to be very interesting as it is a kind of typical assumption in society sometimes that insanity and creativity may be linked. Now there seems to be a genetic factor causing this. It would be interesting to see what other traits could be linked to genetics.

 

Alcohol makes people more creative

When people think of alcohol, most people would associate it with going out and having fun to relax. Today, scientific research suggests that people with a blood alcohol level of 0.75, which is two pints of beer, were more creative during tests than those who were "sober." It is apparent that when you drink, you are more open to new ideas and would probably do things you normally wouldn't. The fact that it is actually proven to make humans more creative is amazing. This also explains why musicians and other talented people face drug and alcohol problems. The test, resembling Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, consisted of 40 men given brain teasers by psychologists at the University of Illinois. The men who had alcohol in their system solved their problems faster than that of the sober group. The drinkers answered 40% more questions, and answered them on average of 12 seconds as opposed to 15.5 seconds for the sober men. The researchers paid close attention to "attentional control" which is an individuals ability to pick and choose what they use and what they ignore, While alcohol shows to make you more creative because you are relaxed and view the "bigger picture" easier, physically you react slower when drinking. After reading this article, you can understand from a scientists point of view why drunk people act a certain way, and why singers commonly battle alcoholism. Each individual will be affected differently however, and genes also play a roll in alcoholism. Although being creative is a great talent, alcohol is still unhealthy to your body and can lead to major problems.