Researchers Delve Further Into Relationship Between Genes And Bipolar

Not too long ago, researchers identified two genes that determine if someone will come down with bipolar disorder or not

. They are the ANK3 and the CACNA1C gene. The next step is to find out why some people get the disease and others don't.

Scientist have long been looking at the relationships between bipolar disorder and heredity. And it has now become almost impossible to dismiss the idea that genetics play a large role in the disease. For instance, somewhere around four percent of everyone in the country has some degree of bipolar disease.

If you have an uncle or aunt with bipolar disorder, your odds of having it is a little bit greater also. If you have a brother or sister with the illness, your odds of having it increase a bit more. If one parent has it, the odds are higher. And if both parents have bipolar, the odds are higher still. So, for a long time, the evidence has been pointing towards a genetic component to the disease.

Said in another way, we all have the ANK3 and the CACNA1C gene as part of our genetic makeup, but what exactly is it in the genes that actually causes bipolar disorder to be triggered? Furthermore, past studies have revealed that those with manic depression seem to be more at risk for other psychiatric related diseases than does the general population. Are these genes responsible for these other diseases also? So, even though the discovery of these genes are critically significant, the study is by no means near completion.

Currently, researchers have a working theory as to how the two genes, ANK3 and CACNA1C, affect manic depression. The thought is that these two genes are involved in helping to control the flow of calcium ions and sodium into and out of neurons within the brain. The reason that this is important is that nearly all of the brain processes communicate via electrical signals between the cells.

If you have too much calcium and sodium in your body it can possibly cause your cells to go awry. When this happens, it can result in any number of mental problems. And the fact that the two genes mentioned above basically controls the calcium and sodium inputs and outputs gives us a key insight into how they may impact bipolar disorder.

The uncovering of the two genes primarily responsible for bipolar disorder is extremely important. But, even so, it is still only a small piece of the total puzzle. Researchers still have to determine exactly how they cause the disease. After all, we all have the two genes, so why are we not all suffering from bipolar disorder?

In order to trigger bipolar disorder symptoms, is there some additional, as yet undiscovered, factor that has to be present and active in order to cause a disruption of the functioning of these two genes? These are questions that have yet to be answered, but the discovery of these two important genes gives scientists a great starting block to build upon.

Researchers Delve Further Into Relationship Between Genes And Bipolar

By: Julie Frey

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