The bipolar puzzle, adding new pieces. Factors associated with bipolar disorder, Genetic and environmental influences

Abstract

The focus of this thesis is twofold. The first part will discuss the structural brain abnormalities and schoolperformance associated with bipolar disorder and the influence of genetic and/or environmental factors to this association. It is part of a large twin study investigating several potential biological factors that might increase the risk for bipolar disorder; i.e. obstetric complications, dermatoglypic alterations, life-events, autoimmune thyroiditis with levels of thyroperoxidase antibodies (TPOAbs), school performance (as a measure of the development of cognitive functioning) and structural brain abnormalities. The second part of this thesis involves possible functional brain abnormalities associated with bipolar disorder, more specifically abnormalities in affective face processing and the influence of mood state (state/trait) are measured.