title: The genetics of bipolar disorder.
abstract: Growing interest in the application of molecular biological techniques to psychiatric disorders has reinvigorated interest in the genetics of the psychoses. It is therefore timely to review the current state of knowledge of the genetics of bipolar disorder. Family, twin and adoption studies are all consistent in confirming the strongly heritable nature of this condition. As segregation analyses have been unable to determine the mode of transmission of bipolar disorder, ongoing linkage analyses using DNA markers will be crucial in determining whether this condition is due to a single major gene, a small number of genes, or multifactorial polygenic inheritance.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Kensington.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mackinnon
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Waters
mesh_terms: D000300:Adoption; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D005817:Genetic Counseling; D008040:Genetic Linkage / Q000235:genetics; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008967:Molecular Biology; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers