Korean researchers find key cause of bipolar disorder

극단적 행동 부르는 '조울증'...발병 이유 찾았다

A team of Korean researchers has found a key element for bipolar disorder, which is known to cause severe shifts in mood and behavior.
The finding is expected to open new doors for both diagnosis and treatment.
Park Se-young has the details.
Last September, a young man in Korea suffering from bipolar disorder killed his grandmother and injured his father at home.
This is one of the more serious expressions of the mental illness, which is more often associated with manic episodes.
There was once a limit to both diagnosis and treatment, but now, a team of Korean researchers has found a key cause behind bipolar disorder.
Without a specific protein, a problem occurs in nerve transmission, which leads to uncontrollable excitement or depression.


"In order to transmit signals, nerve cells need to form dendritic spines. The absence of the key protein results in a dramatic change in spinal formation, causing an imbalance in signal transmission."

When the researchers removed the protein in mice, they showed manic behaviors resembling those exhibited by people with bipolar disorder.


"By making the connection between the protein and bipolar disorder, we were able to create animal models. With the models, we can test various drugs and eventually create effective mood stabilizing drugs."

The researchers added that the protein not only causes bipolar disorder, but also contributes to autism and obsessive compulsive disorder.
They expect their finding to open doors to new treatments for a variety of mental illnesses.
Park Se-young, Arirang News.



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