What used to be commonly known as manic-depression now goes by the name bipolar disorder. Regardless of what it is called, it’s one of those “mental illnesses” that often has discussions of it shrouded in mystery, suspicion and misinformation – not grounded in longitudinal scientific studies. So a new study, championed by a famous family who has been severely impacted by the disease, looks promising.

Multifaceted study

The 5-year-old study includes 600 participants with and without bipolar disorder. Unlike other bipolar studies, it has integrated genetic, biomedical and clinical outcomes, and it gathered environmental, neuropsychological and other data from participants.

Researchers also have created a bipolar genetic repository with donations from volunteers around the country, and they plan to genotype the DNA of each. Some volunteers also have donated their skin to U-M’s Stem Cell Consortium to create the university’s latest stem cell lines.

The hope is to gather data from the participants, along with their children, to help understand the disorder and find better ways to intervene and manage it.      Detroit News

Note that, because remarkable stigma and behavior changes can occur in others when it becomes known, I don’t usually reveal that I am a victim of this disorder. I’m willing to risk misguided reactions from readers to tell you this, and I hope you’ll look on this illness with some new insights and understanding, after you read the artcle and, if you know me at all, ponder the news that I’m bipolar.