Disorders Share Risk Gene Pathway: Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Schizophrenia

Bipolar Disorder is a brain disorder that produces alterations in mood, energy, activity levels, regular tasks in life. Even though, it is more prevalent in teenagers and adults, children as young as 6 can be affected, making this an extremely important disorder to understand and treat. Currently, there are about 5.7 million adults in suffering bipolar disorder just in the U.S. A recent study by Psychiatric Genomic Consortium (PGC), funded by NIMH’s Genomics Research Branch, discovered that several mental disorders, such as bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia, all share genetic risk affecting pathways associated for immune system and neuronal communication. Reducing the potential pathways for these disorder into a few shared pathways offers hints to shared mechanisms, precise diagnosis, and more efficient and successful treatments. The researchers figured the share pathways through finding that disorders that share a characteristic age-of-onset also share the similar risk gene paths. The study also narrows the pathways shared to the process of histone methylation, a mechanism responsible for gene expression and regulation according to the environment present.

            In a research study conducted by Dr. Weisenbach and team, there showed a strong correlation between bipolar disorder and aging on the quality of life lead by the patient. The study found that emotion processing, processing speed, and functioning skills in all BPD patients are negatively impacted by the disease and age. Aging and the disease also affect the capacity to execute physical tasks. The quality of life is extremely deteriorating as age increase. However, it is proved that the patients will form resilience with the disorder after experiencing it long term. Through figuring out the share pathways of bipolar disorder along with depression and schizophrenia, the researchers have opened up a new door to the potential treatment for all three disorders, which are all very common among society. Many suffering bipolar disorder also suffer depression and other brain disorders. These potential treatments can improve the subjective quality of life of the patient suffering and also form resilience to the disorder.

Weisenbach, S. L., & Marshall, D., & Weldon, A. L., & Ryan, K. A., & Vederman, A. C., & Kamali, M., & Zubieta, J. (2014). The double burden of age and disease on cognition and quality of life in bipolar disorder. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 29, 952-961. doi: 10.1002/gps.4084

Asher, J. (2015, January 29). Disorders Share Risk Gene Pathways for Immune, Epigenetic Regulation. National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved April 28, 2015, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2015/disorders-share-risk-gene-pathways-for-immune-epigenetic-regulation.shtml