Psych Central Senior News Editor Rick Nauert PhD recently posted an article entitled “Test for Genetic Risk of Bipolar,” calling attention to researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine who have developed a test (prototype) for identifying a genetic susceptibility to developing bipolar disorder.

It’s important to keep in mind that this is not simple blood test to determine whether someone has bipolar disorder. It merely helps predict who may be at risk for developing bipolar if environmental conditions for developing bipolar are also present.

This is exciting news because it hints at the future of psychiatry – being able to identify genes and eventually the brain biology tied to those genes that contribute to the development of bipolar disorder. This is an early model and one that will not be part of everyday clinical practice for some time. But being able to identify those at risk could provide individuals and caregivers information that helps to modify the course of the illness or hopefully being able to prevent the illness from developing at all.

It is going to take time for any of this to translate into anything specific so we must remain cautious in reactions – but it is a welcome development in this field.

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PsychCentral (April 19, 2010)

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    Last reviewed: 19 Apr 2010