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Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Share Genetic Roots – 1

Narrator: This is NIH Health Matters. A recent trio of genome-wide studies have revealed that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder share common genetic variants. Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, explains that while the disorders share common genetic roots – there is no single gene that can be pinpointed as a cause for these disorders.

Insel: I think the one thing you can say from these three studies is there isn’t going to be a smoking gun. And it’s only in very rare cases that you’re going to find a large-effect gene that

actually could be considered to be a cause rather than just a risk factor.

Narrator: For more information, visit www.nimh.nih.gov. Health Matters is produced by the National Institutes of Health, part of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

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This page last reviewed on March 24, 2011

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