An examination of the genetic relationship between bipolar and unipolar illness in an epidemiological sample.
Psychiatr Genet
; 7(4): 159-63, 1997.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-9460800
ABSTRACT
In an epidemiologic sample of female-female twin pairs, we previously reported analyses of lifetime major depression. Because lifetime mania was not assessed, we could not differentiate unipolar from bipolar illness. Having completed such an evaluation in this sample, we now examine three questions (i) does removing bipolar cases from our cohort substantially alter estimates for the heritability of major depression?; (ii) does our epidemiologic data support a familial relationship between major depression and mania?; and (iii) do our results for major depression and mania suggest that the two disorders are caused by the same underlying liability? We find that (i) the heritability of major depression declines only trivially if cases with a history of mania are removed; (ii) mania in one twin predicts major depression in her cotwin-suggesting a familial/genetic relationship between major depression and mania; and (iii) a multiple threshold model fits our data well, consistent with the hypothesis that unipolar and bipolar disorders are points on a continuum of a single liability of illness. The validity of these results are tempered by the small number of bipolar cases detected, as expected from the low base rate of mania in general population samples.
Buscar no Google
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Transtorno Bipolar
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Psychiatr Genet
Assunto da revista:
GENETICA
/
PSIQUIATRIA
Ano de publicação:
1997
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos