Bipolar Disorder (cont.)
What causes bipolar disorder?
Scientists are learning about the possible causes of bipolar disorder through
several kinds of studies. Most scientists now agree that there is no single
cause for bipolar disorder—rather, many factors act together to produce the
illness.
Because bipolar disorder tends to run in families, researchers have been
searching for specific genes—the microscopic "building blocks" of
DNA inside all cells that influence how the body and mind work and grow—passed
down through generations that may increase a person's chance of developing the
illness. But genes are not the whole story. Studies of identical twins, who
share all the same genes, indicate that both genes and other factors play a role
in bipolar disorder. If bipolar disorder were caused entirely by genes, then the
identical twin of someone with the illness would always develop the
illness, and research has shown that this is not the case. But if one twin has
bipolar disorder, the other twin is more likely to develop the illness than is
another sibling.
In addition, findings from gene research suggest that
bipolar disorder, like other mental illnesses, does not
occur because of a single gene.
It appears likely that many different genes act
together, and in combination with other factors of the
person or the person's environment, to cause bipolar
disorder. Finding these genes, each of which contributes
only a small amount toward the vulnerability to bipolar
disorder, has been extremely difficult. But scientists
expect that the advanced research tools now being used
will lead to these discoveries and to new and better
treatments for bipolar disorder.
Brain-imaging studies
are helping scientists learn what goes wrong in the
brain to produce bipolar disorder and other mental
illnesses.
New brain-imaging techniques allow researchers to take
pictures of the living brain at work, to examine its
structure and activity, without the need for surgery or
other invasive procedures. These techniques include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and functional magnetic
resonance imaging
(fMRI). There is evidence from imaging studies that the brains of people
with bipolar disorder may differ from the brains of
healthy individuals. As the differences are more clearly
identified and defined through research, scientists will
gain a better understanding of the underlying causes of
the illness, and eventually may be able to predict which
types of treatment will work most effectively.
 |
 |
From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com  |
|
|
- Depression - Read about depression causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and types, including manic depression (bipolar disorder), postpartum depression and clinical depression. Source:MedicineNet
- Panic Attacks - Read about panic attack (panic disorder) symptoms, causes (stress, anxiety, fear) and treatment (medication, psychotherapy). Learn how to prevent panic attacks. Source:MedicineNet
- Suicide - Recognize the warning signs and symptoms of suicidal behavior (writing a suicide note), and get the facts on suicide prevention, causes, treatment, assessment, risk factors and support. Source:MedicineNet
- Read 100 more Bipolar Disorder related articles ...
|
| |
|
Specialty RSS
