Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found a genetic link between bipolar I disorder and epilepsy. Research results It was published In the journal Genomic Psychiatry (GenPsy).
The scientists used data from a genomic association analysis (GWAS), a large study of European volunteers. More than 26 thousand epilepsy cases and 25 thousand type one bipolar disorder (BD-I) cases were analyzed within the scope of the study. Scientists used statistical methods to identify common genetic factors that contribute to the development of these neurological diseases.
The results identified nearly 1,300 genetic variations that may be associated with the two conditions. Additionally, the researchers found six genomic loci (regions) associated with both BD-I and epilepsy.
The role of the SP4 gene, which plays a role in the development of both diseases, has attracted particular attention from scientists. SP4 protein is regulated by neuronal activity and can be stabilized by lithium, one of the known mood stabilizers. This discovery suggests that the SP4 gene may be a promising target for the development of more effective therapies for treating these disorders.
Previously was created The bracelet is a harbinger of epilepsy attacks.