[faerie_moon_x]

This is a very good article on this study. They are finding the genes that link autism, depresion, bipolar, ADHD, and schizophrenia and they are finding that they overlap as well. It's a big step in understanding what is happening to all of us on a physical level:

Shared Genes May Link ADHD, Autism and Depression - ADHD - MSN Healthy Living

"This study, for the first time, shows that there are specific genetic variants that influence a range of childhood and adult-onset psychiatric disorders that we think of as clinically different," said lead researcher Dr. Jordan Smoller, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
"We also found that there was significant overlap in the genetic components of several disorders, especially schizophrenia with bipolar disorder and depression, and to a lesser extent autism with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder," he said.

[Confusedinomicon]

Im going to have a friend look at the article to see if the research is actually significant. If it is, this will be promising.

I will type up a reply based off of their interpretation since im balls at stats.

[spoiltmom]

Interesting. I know so far 2 of my 3 kids have ADHD as well as my husband. The psychologist told me that it is genetic for them and that odds are great that my 3rd child will end up with it also.

[Confusedinomicon]

Nm its 150 pages x.x

[faerie_moon_x]

I think this research is significant because the study population is a total of 61,000 people. 33,000 with a dx of the five illnesses (autism, bipolar, depression, ADHD, and schizophrenia,) and 28,000 of people without. Genetic testing of 61,000 people is a big deal.

This isn't some rinkidink study where they took 500-1000 people and asked them questions and checked in their ears for lose screws. That size of a population is a major study which can begin to make some real findings vs. guesses.

To make a significant find like this would mean there was something obvious in the population of people with a dx vs. the population without, I do believe.

[newtus]

Originally Posted by dark_heart_x

I think this research is significant because the study population is a total of 61,000 people. 33,000 with a dx of the five illnesses (autism, bipolar, depression, ADHD, and schizophrenia,) and 28,000 of people without. Genetic testing of 61,000 people is a big deal.

This isn't some rinkidink study where they took 500-1000 people and asked them questions and checked in their ears for lose screws. That size of a population is a major study which can begin to make some real findings vs. guesses.

To make a significant find like this would mean there was something obvious in the population of people with a dx vs. the population without, I do believe.

very well put.

[cocoabeans]

I read a news article about the study and findings and thought well, that explains it. I'm the only one with the offical diagnosis for bipolar but, we've got both ADHD and autism in the family tree. There's some depression, seasonal affective disorder and extreme anxiety but, I always thought how is it that I have bipolar and no one else in my family does? Okay, I'm pretty sure a parent has it but requires no diagnosis so, that doesn't count! What's going on? Yea, I will buy this one.

[faerie_moon_x]

Originally Posted by cocoabeans

I read a news article about the study and findings and thought well, that explains it. I'm the only one with the offical diagnosis for bipolar but, we've got both ADHD and autism in the family tree. There's some depression, seasonal affective disorder and extreme anxiety but, I always thought how is it that I have bipolar and no one else in my family does? Okay, I'm pretty sure a parent has it but requires no diagnosis so, that doesn't count! What's going on? Yea, I will buy this one.

I have always had the feeling that bipolar and schizophrenia was linked. No one else in my family has bipolar, either. But my dad's first cousin has schizophrenia.

I had read an article about a year ago which may have been about this study, stating someone had a theory that it was more a spectrum with ADHD, depression, bipolar, and schizophrenia. Now adding Autism into it, I can see how it can really be a spectrum!

[Confusedinomicon]

I will believe this study once they do smaller studies that replicate the data. They should be able to look at each individual group (ADHD, Bipolar, Schizophrenia, Autism) and find a significant difference from the control group based on the pathways they have identified. (Differences in the calcium ion channels and whatever else they found)

It wasn't about this study. I've mentioned something like this at one point or another.

Also, this study doesn't link major depression to the other 4. It also doesn't make the claim that these genes are heritable.

Plus you have to remember that this is a casual study. Causation doesn't prove anything. In the first sentence they said 'may'! Replication will tell us if their findings are valid. If this study produces accurate work it means treatment will get better because they can find medication that directly affects the ion channels that they identified.

[faerie_moon_x]

The imporant thing about this study is it is opening the door to continue studying this path, instead of finding nothing. I think that's the most important thing. Obviously this is only the beginning.

[Odee]

Originally Posted by Confusedinomicon

Plus you have to remember that this is a casual study. Causation doesn't prove anything. In the first sentence they said 'may'! Replication will tell us if their findings are valid. If this study produces accurate work it means treatment will get better because they can find medication that directly affects the ion channels that they identified.

It's the responsibility of science to always say "may"!

Also, did you mean correlation instead of causation?

[Confusedinomicon]

Yea. Thanks for catching that.

[Eliza Jane]

It makes me really worry what my kid is going to inherit from me.

EJ

[cocoabeans]

Originally Posted by Eliza Jane

It makes me really worry what my kid is going to inherit from me.

EJ

That's one reason why my husband and are are not going to have any children. He has it too. Imagine how much we'd screw up a child then consider the genetics? No way!

That isn't to say that people with bipolar cant be great parents but, it's a big part of why I couldn't. Remember though environment plays a part in both whether a person will develop it and also how successfully they cope with it if it does develop. You've got a kid now so, don't worry about the genetics that part is done. Raise 'em right.

[Odee]

I've always wanted to adopt in the first place, one, because there's enough people in this world already, two, because there are so many unfortunate children without a loving family, and three, pregnancy disturbs/frighten me.

But now that I know that I have a highly heritable disorder, that's even two more reasons to not have children: One, I don't want to pass the struggles on, and two, I don't want to experience whatever pregnancy hormones would do to me.

[Victoria'smom]

Depression, bipolar, and schizophrenia run rampant on both sides of my family. My son is the only 4th generation person to be Dx'd with anything but the first to be dx'd ADHD and autism. So this gives me hope.

[~Christina]

DH thanks for posting this information I also read this study.

I am 47 years old was diagnosed over 3 years ago with Bipolar I. My daughter is 21 and was diagnosed at age 19-20 She is doing just fine, Of course I felt horrible for a long time , until she jumped my *** and told me she wouldn't change an single thing about herself. She has Bipolar, same as she has red hair and freckles, Bipolar to her is just part of who she is.

I'm glad these types of studies are going on

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

She has Bipolar, same as she has red hair and freckles, Bipolar to her is just part of who she is.

Red hair and freckles are the best! Lovely and adorable. How did she get them? You are a brunette.

[Anika.]

I've always thought it was a spectrum, schizoaffective would be explained well by that theory I think.

I know some people scoff at the gluten thing, but there is pretty good studies into links between gluten, autism, adhd, depression, bipolar and schizophrenia. Along with caesine. Might nit be a cure but there us a link between them and it has shown up in all of these disorders.