SNP Shot: Genomic Insights

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness characterized by significant mood swings, impacting a person's energy levels and behavior. While it commonly emerges during late adolescence or early adulthood, the onset of symptoms can happen at any point in life.

Individuals with bipolar disorder experience both extreme highs, known as manic episodes, and extreme lows, known as depressive episodes. These episodes can vary in duration, lasting from hours to weeks. Between these episodes, many individuals experience periods without any symptoms.

Manic episodes are defined by heightened energy and activity levels, increased irritability, restlessness, insomnia, and impulsive or reckless behavior. Some individuals may experience hypomanic episodes, which are similar to manic episodes but less intense.

Depressive episodes are characterized by low energy and activity, feelings of hopelessness, and difficulty performing daily tasks. Individuals with bipolar disorder often experience recurring thoughts of death or suicide and face a significantly elevated risk of suicide compared to the general population.

Both manic and depressive episodes can sometimes include psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations (false perceptions) or delusions (strongly held false beliefs). Some individuals also experience mixed episodes, where features of both manic and depressive episodes occur simultaneously.

Bipolar disorder is categorized into different types depending on the specific pattern of mood changes. Bipolar I disorder involves manic episodes, which may include psychotic symptoms, and can also involve hypomanic or depressive episodes. Bipolar II disorder involves hypomanic episodes and depressive episodes. Cyclothymic disorder is characterized by hypomanic and depressive episodes that are generally milder than those experienced in bipolar I or bipolar II.

Bipolar disorder frequently co-occurs with other mental health conditions, such as anxiety disorders (like panic attacks), behavioral disorders (like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), and substance use disorders.

Inheritance:

The way bipolar disorder is inherited is complex and not fully understood. However, the risk of developing the condition is higher for individuals with first-degree relatives (such as siblings or children) who have the disorder, compared to the general population. The reason for varying inheritance risks among families remains unknown. Despite this increased risk, most people with a close relative who has bipolar disorder will not develop the condition themselves. Many individuals with bipolar disorder have relatives with other mood, anxiety, or psychotic disorders (such as depression or schizophrenia). These disorders may occur within families partly due to shared genetic risk factors with bipolar disorder. However, these conditions are relatively common in the general population, making it statistically possible to observe multiple cases within a family by chance.