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Genetics of manic depressive illness
D F MacKinnon1, K R Jamison, J R DePaulo
1Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
Annual Review of Neuroscience
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Manic depressive illness, a complex familial disorder, shows genetic linkage to chromosome 18. Further research aims to identify specific genes and address ethical considerations for genetic testing.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Manic depressive illness (now known as bipolar disorder) is a prevalent and disabling psychiatric condition with a familial component.
- Understanding its inheritance is challenging due to complex phenotypes and non-Mendelian transmission patterns.
- Previous linkage studies faced limitations, prompting the development of advanced analytical methods for complex traits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic basis of manic depressive illness.
- To identify chromosomal regions linked to the disorder.
- To explore the genetic heterogeneity of manic depressive illness.
Main Methods:
- Utilized sophisticated methods for analyzing complex phenotypes.
- Performed linkage analysis to identify chromosomal loci associated with manic depressive illness.
- Replicated findings to confirm genetic associations.
Main Results:
- Established linkage of manic depressive illness to loci on chromosome 18.
- Confirmed previous reports and replicated findings through further analysis.
- Identified chromosome 18 as a significant region for manic depressive illness genetic research.
Conclusions:
- Manic depressive illness is likely genetically heterogeneous, involving multiple genes.
- Chromosome 18 harbors loci associated with manic depressive illness.
- Future research should focus on identifying specific genes and considering the ethical implications of genetic testing for this complex disorder.