SOCIALIZATION FACTOR

THE “SOCIALIZATION FACTOR” OF THE BRAIN—ITS ACTIVATION AND ITS INHIBITION.”
PRESENTING A THEORY OF BRAIN FUNCTION WHICH OFFERS A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR THE PHENOMENA SEEN IN AUTISM, SCHIZOPHRENIA, AND OTHER SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL DIFFICULTIES.

What we have discovered is that the medicine mecamylamine/ Inversine seems to act as a ‘talk pill‘ for many developmentally disabled individuals who formerly were limited in their conversation. The idea that a medication can help people talk at first seems peculiar – how can a pill affect talking? But consider that 100 years ago there would be a similar unbelief that a medicine could treat psychotic delusions and hallucinations.” Statement given to caregiver in summer 2003.

  INTRODUCTION:

• UNIVERSAL SOCIALIZATION FACTOR
• LIST OF THE VARIOUS PRINCIPLES INVOLVED IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIALIZATION PRINCIPLE
• LIST OF REFERENCES

This paper presents the possibility that there is a process in every brain which either gives or denies “permission” for the individual to participate in or to block out the socializing functions of the brain – especially speech. The phenomenon of blocking socialization is seen as a consequence of normal societal structure but capable of causing symptoms of mental illness in some situations.

 SUMMARY: 

This paper seeks to present the concept of the presence of socialization factor as part of the functioning brain. This concept has two parts. Part 1 –the “socialization factor” and its inhibition, Part 2 – the “primitive psychotic drives” which are the extremes of brain functions that influenced the growth of the individual’s socialization experience.

The “socialization factor” has qualities not typical of standard brain functions. It is unique in that it can be dormant for an extended time then suddenly function; its treatment is unique in that a number of widely divergent neuro-chemical systems seem to affect it; and treatment is also unique in that a time-limited treatment may cause a prolonged benefit. It may be that the socialization factor is a dissociative reaction; it may be intimately connected with the MNDA glutamate system; or both statements may be true. “Prosocialization medications”, which include atypical antipsychotics, various glycine agonists, glutamate antagonists, and the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine, can stimulate the emergence of increased socialization but can also produce severe behavioral disruptions in some individuals. These disruptions have demonstrated qualities which suggested part B of this theory – the presence of “primitive psychotic drives.”

“Primitive psychotic drives.” apparently represent the expression of the extremes of psychotic-like socialization drives which are dissociatively suppressed during normal brain function, but seem to be the force behind the two major psychiatric breaks—the autistic, socially-isolating psychosis of the schizophrenic break and the socially intrusive disinhibited dysfunction of the manic break. These two primitive drives parallel the first two infantile developmental phases conceived by the child psychiatrist, Margaret Mahler – the autistic phase and the symbiotic phase.

Determining whether there is a true relationship between the clinical observations presented and such foundationally novel theories will require extensive controlled clinical study. Indeed, the observations and theories on which the concept of the socialization factor is formulated are incomplete, hard to substantiate, and quite subject to skepticism. However, the material presented does contain observations by myself and others that are not easily explained using other models of psychopathology. Thus this paper is set forth with the hope that others will seek to develop experience dealing with the area of behavior which has been termed the “socialization factor” and that the concept of “prosocialization treatment” will be expanded to reach the large number of patients that it promises to help.