If bipolar disorder is genetically linked, how can this help?

Question

Hi - I'm doing a science project on Bipolar Disorder - being genetically linked (I've already found many sites to work from). I was just wondering how knowing that Bipolar disorder is genetically linked - could help? (For my hypothesis) I came up with a few answers, but none seem scientific/straight forward enough. Could anyone help? Thanks :)

Answer 1

The genetic link could facilitate diagnosis. For example, if a patients father had bipolar disorder, and your current patient is exhibiting symptoms of bipolar disorder which are vague (or could be symptoms of a variety of other conditions), you might be inclined to more thorougly investigage bipolar illness as the cause of your patients' symptoms.

Answer 2

The genetic link, if there is such a thing, would be interesting to find. The "bipolar gene" or more probably, the 'bipolar genes' would be interesting to find. If it were possible to find such gene(s) one could use this to do prenatal screening as well as facilitate in the treatment and prevention of such a disorder.

Of course, this would bring all sorts of questions into light for example: is bipolar a 'true' medical illness in the sense that it is universal and not a western cultural thing?

Answer 3

here are a coupld of advantages of knowing bipolar disorder is genetically linked

- being "on the lookout". if parents know a child is predisposed to bipolar disorder (or if you know that you are disposed to it), they can watch for warning signs.

- easier diagnosis. rather than hemming and hawing forever, if both your parents have bipolar, the diagnosis for you will be that much easier. this has a flipside too -- doctors could diagnose biopolar without considering whether it might be something else.

- identification of genes ivolved in bipolar disorder. once scientists know exactly what genes are involved, they can begin designing medications to target those genes.