In a study published in The Lancet, scientists reported on the discovery that five major psychiatric disorders autism, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia may share common genetic risk factors. Specifically, these include variations in genes involved in the balancing of calcium in brain cells.
Scientists involved in the study scanned the genome of about 33,000 patients and 28,000 controls and identified four risk loci that were seen in all five diseases. The strongest links were seen between the adult onset disorders bipolar and major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia.
In response to these findings, scientists say, genetics ¦can contribute to prediction and prevention of psychiatric diseases, along with the identification of molecular targets for new generations of psychotropic drugs.