Scientists Take Steps to Understand Basic Biology of Bipolar Disorder

Using a new method to determine whether individuals met the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of bipolar disorder, researchers from UCLA tried a new approach by combining results from brain imaging, cognitive tests, and an array of temperament and behavioral measures. In an attempt to better understand the genes that cause the disorder, a collaborative research team identified about 50 brain and behavioral measures that are both under strong genetic control and associated with bipolar disorder, creating the potential to pinpoint the specific genes that contribute to the illness. Affecting about one to two percent of the population, bipolar disorder causes unusual shifts in mood and energy, interfering with the ability to carry out everyday tasks. The researchers assessed 738 adults, 181 of with severe bipolar disorder. Using high-resolution 3-D imaging and extensive cognitive testing, researchers found that the thickness of the gray matter in the brain’s temporal and prefrontal regions — structures that are critical for language and high-order cognitive functions like self-control and problem solving — were the most promising traits for genetic mapping, based on their strong genetic basis and association with the disease. To read more about this study, click here.