Washington, Nov 14 : A gene, touted as the "despair" gene, which earlier had no relation with mood disorders, has now been found to have a link with bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenic conditions, according to pharmacy scientists at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB).
The researchers have identified antidepressant and anti-anxiety behaviours in tests of mice lacking the gene.
The story continues,
"The knockout mice [without the gene] displayed behaviours indicative of changes in mood function, such as increased perseverance and reduced anxiety in open spaces," said Wang.
"We don't yet know why the deletion of the gene altered the mood status of the mice," she added.
Probably a lot more research needs to be done on this.... it seems to be a study in it's infancy, but I am just putting it out there as food for thought, in case this gene does turn out to be a legitimate thing. It might help figure out is being bipolar environmental or biological?
I hope I can know the answer to this in my lifetime.
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4 comments:
I'm not sure if there will be any change for the moment.
They just found out.
Hope you are better Susan.
Love,
Ana
I dunno what the despair gene is, but I got more than my share of it. :-(
I want my money back. I never ever signed up for this pathetic excuse for a gig.
I agree Southernbelle. I agree.
It's interesting, I dropped into an episode yesterday after an extended hypo-manic period, and google'd "bipolar despair," as I felt that was a better word than depression for what I was going through. I hadn't really heard the word used in connection with the disorder although many times I felt it. Along with the article already posted I found another interesting one:
http://focus.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/5/1/111
I have long become frustrated with therapy and incompetent (though I see that as a problem of the field, not the doc) therapists, who reduce patients to their diseases. I have been frustrated recently by my present doc who insists that my relationship issues and religious struggles owe their existence to "destructive cognitive patterns," and not seeing that they come from years of pain and disillusionment with ineffective treatments and progress that nearly always gives way to relapse. I often feel like a rubix cube, an engaging puzzle to be figured out.
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