People with bipolar disorder – characterized by alternating phases of mania and depression – experience extreme changes in their mood, energy and activity levels, and ability to perform everyday tasks. The symptoms vary from person to person and can be serious, and even disabling, but with adequate treatment those affected can lead a satisfactory and productive life.
Now, research carried out by the Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV) and the Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, which has included the participation of nine teams from the Center for Biomedical Research in Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), will help improve the well-being of patients with bipolar disorder thanks to the identification of genetic variants in the discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) gene linked to both the cognitive faculties and the psychosocial capacity of those affected.
Cognitive abilities are the mental processes related to memory, attention and the analysis of information and a deterioration of these faculties has a negative impact on the psychosocial capacity of patients, defined as the set of skills necessary to carry out daily activities and interact socially.
“Our goal is that the genetic variations of the DDR1 gene identified, along with other variations discovered in previous research, are used for early detection in our health systems, thus improving the quality of life of people with bipolar disorder,” says Dr. Selena Aranda Castel, from the Group on Genetics and Environment in Psychiatry (GAP) of the IISPV, who led the research (under the leadership of Dr. Elisabet Vilella).
Identify patients at risk of cognitive and psychosocial impairment
Researchers indicate that bipolar disorder is one of the main sources of disability and affects 2% of the world’s population, but, despite this, the therapeutic options available to treat the difficulties that patients face, such as cognitive impairment, are limited or of reduced effectiveness. A determining factor in this situation is the delay in receiving adequate treatments, which has a significant impact on the quality of life of patients.
DDR1 plays a key role in oligodendrocyte cells, essential in the brain because they are responsible for covering neurons with myelin, a layer composed of lipids that facilitates the rapid and effective transmission of information. This gene is associated with the diagnosis of schizophrenia and with processing speed in patients with schizophrenia and first episode psychosis, the researchers explained in the prestigious journal Molecular Psychiatry where they point out that in the new study they investigated whether DDR1 variants are associated with characteristics of bipolar disorder.
“Our goal is that the genetic variations of the DDR1 gene identified, along with other variations discovered in previous research, are used for the early detection of bipolar disorder”
To carry out the study, 3,035 samples provided by CIBERSAM were examined. Their findings could facilitate the identification of those patients with a higher risk of experiencing cognitive and psychosocial deterioration, thus allowing early interventions, the prevention of serious complications, and the application of more personalized and effective treatments – which in turn would reduce the costs associated with these. conditions for the public health system – and, ultimately, would improve the quality of life of those affected.
To achieve this goal, the use of genetic diagnoses as a support tool in the field of mental health is crucial, a practice that is still uncommon. However, before these clinical tests are implemented in health services, it is necessary to confirm the results obtained through future research that includes a larger number of patients and more diverse profiles.
Source: Center for Biomedical Research in Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM)
