title: Genetics of bipolar disorder.
abstract: Bipolar disorder especially the most severe type (type I), has a strong genetic component. Family studies suggest that a small number of genes of modest effect are involved in this disorder. Family-based studies have identified a number of chromosomal regions linked to bipolar disorder, and progress is currently being made in identifying positional candidate genes within those regions. A number of candidate genes have also shown evidence of association with bipolar disorder, and genome-wide association studies are now under way, using dense genetic maps. Replication studies in larger or combined datasets are needed to definitively assign a role for specific genes in this disorder. This review covers our current knowledge of the genetics of bipolar disorder, and provides a commentary on current approaches used to identify the genes involved in this complex behavioral disorder.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, South Texas Medical Genetics Research Center, 1214 Schunior St, Edinburg, TX 78539, USA. escamillam@uthscsa.edu
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Escamilla
authors.forename: Juan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zavala
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D008040:Genetic Linkage / Q000235:genetics; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005820:Genetic Testing; D016678:Genome / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers