Familial and non-familial mania

We compared 34 manics with a positive family history of affective disorder (familial mania) and 84 manics with a negative family history of affective disorder (non-familial mania) for clinical, demographic and historical variables related to abnormal brain function and for cortical functioning measured by neuropsychological and electroencephalographic techniques. Proband and relative research diagnosis, neuropsychological and electroencephalographic interpretations were made blindly and independently of each other. Except for index admission severity of illness being greater in familial manics, we could find no significant differences for any of the variables studied. We conclude that differences in family illness patterns do not identify subgroups of manics and if it exists, heterogeneity, must be sought by studying other biologic correlates of psychopathology.