Genetic Risk Factor for Bipolar Disorder Discovered

New study provides insights into the molecular processes involved into this common neuropsychiatric disorder.

Jülich, 25 February 2011 – The variation in a certain gene increases the probability of being affected by bipolar disorder. This was reported by an international research team headed by scientists from Bonn, Mannheim and Jülich. This finding is an important piece in the puzzle of understanding the origins of the disorder, in which genetic changes and environmental factors play a part. The researchers present their results in the latest online issue of "American Journal of Human Genetics"
(doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2011.01.017).