A new study at the University of Michigan Medical School has revealed that drugs for Bipolar Disorder may actually help to 'normalize' the activity of genes in the brain. An article in Science Daily has revealed that there were striking differences between the brains of those who took antipsychotics to treat bipolar disorder and those who did not. The study was done on stem cells derived from the brains of 26 people who had passed away, some with bipolar disorder and some without. The brains were provided by a nonprofit brain bank that recorded the medication each person was taking before their death and studied by researchers. There were strong similarities in the expression of genes associated with the transmission of signals across synapses between subjects who were taking medication to treat bipolar disorder and those without the disorder. Senior author Melvin McInnis noted,We found there are hundreds of genes whose activity is adjusted in individuals taking medication -- consistent with the fact that there are a number of genes that are potentially amiss in people with bipolar.
Genes that were already shown to be linked to bipolar disorder were shown to be altered, to align more with the normal patterns, in the brains of those taking medication. "Gene chip" analysis was used to measure the presence of messenger RNA molecules that indicate gene activity. Further research using stem cells will be able to bring new advances in medicine to help fight bipolar disorder. More information on the way medications treat bipolar disorder can be found at the National Institute of Mental Health's website shown at the link below.
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