Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder: Gene Link?

Study Shows Family Connections for Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia
By Salynn Boyles WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

WebMD Health News (Jan. 15, 2009) — "The largest study ever to track bipolar disorder and schizophrenia within families offers evidence that the two psychiatric disorders share a common genetic cause.

For more than a century the psychiatric community has debated whether schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were two distinct disorders or were more connected.

Over the course of their illnesses, many patients experience similarities in certain symptoms characteristic of both, such as manic mood swings in bipolar disorder and psychosis in schizophrenia."

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Brain Activity May Predict Schizophrenia Behavior Personalized diagnosis, treatment may be possible, U.K. study suggests

WEDNESDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News)

"British researchers say they have discovered a means of anticipating how people might behave during a psychotic episode.

The study, by a team at the University of Cambridge, found that patterns of normal brain activity may predispose individuals to different psychosis symptoms.

The researchers compared the brain activity of 15 healthy volunteers before and after they were given ketamine, a psychosis drug that mimics schizophrenia symptoms.

Increased brain activity during some tasks in the normal state predicted behaviors after the participants were given ketamine. For example, those who showed more frontal and temporal brain activity while imaging the sounds of voices in their normal state were more likely to experience strange perceptions after taking ketamine."

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