# affective disorder spectrum



## trbell (Nov 1, 2000)

Genetic Defect May Link 14 Conditions-------------------------------------There's no smoking gun, but the evidence is intriguing. Fourteen diseasesthat can be treated successfully with three antidepressants are leadingresearchers to dig for a common genetic abnormality.The 14 conditions are the following: * Depression * Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder * Bulimia nervosa * Generalized anxiety disorder * Panic disorder * Obsessive-compulsive disorder * Posttraumatic stress disorder * Social phobia * Dysthymic disorder * Migraine * Irritable bowel syndrome * Fibromyalgia <-------------------- * Cataplexy * Narcolepsy * Premenstrual dysphoric disorderA common successful treatment protocol isn't all that links theconditions. Researchers have also found that they run in families andthat several conditions often occur in the same people. The commonalitieshave led to the group of conditions being lumped under the name "affectivespectrum disorder."In the February issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, researcherJames Hudson of Harvard Medical School reports that immediate familymembers of people with at least one condition are 2.5 times more likelyto develop one of the conditions themselves.For their study, Hudson and colleagues interviewed 178 parents, childrenand siblings of 64 people diagnosed with major depression, as well as 152relatives of 58 people without it.URL: http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/issues/curren...s/yoa10262.html tom


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