Absolutely there are. For one thing, we are starting to better understand, through genetics actually, certain genetic predispositions in mental health. Through epigenetics, we're starting to understand how the environment, external events, will act on your genome and modify chemically your DNA. By environment I don't mean only the physical environment or the toxins you may be exposed to; I'm talking about the psychological environment, such as maternal love, for instance. These modifications will modify the expression of your genes. That's absolutely critical for mental health. We're starting to find out what is in your genetic makeup, what is partly genetic but also partly acquired through the environmental experiences, which is absolutely critical as well, and things that are due to development versus things that are chemical imbalances. Obviously, modifying chemical imbalances is easier than reverting to what has been, often due to genetic causes, a major problem in development and the establishment of the synaptic connections in the brain. We're starting to better understand that. Are we ready to cure all these disorders? No, but we are making enormous progress.
It is an area where we have to invest in basic research, because until we understand how the brain works, we won't be able to truly develop treatments that are cures. We'll be able to play with symptoms, but we won't be able to cure things. It's the last frontier. It's a complex organ, but it is amazing to see the speed at which we've made progress in that area. There's really hope for patients with mental health issues.
You have to realize that a few years back we wouldn't even have recognized a mental health issue. It's something you wouldn't talk about because of the stigma. Now, in many areas, mental health is recognized for what it is. It's not worse to have a mental health problem than to have diabetes, and often there are similarities. You can have a dysfunctional enzyme. You can have a hormone that's not secreted properly. You can have a neurotransmitter that has either overproduced or has not produced enough. We're starting to get a handle on this. It's complicated.