Bipolar spectrum disorders in patients diagnosed with velo-cardio-facial syndrome: does a hemizygous deletion of chromosome 22q11 result in bipolar affective disorder?
Given that the prevalence of bipolar disorder in the general population is estimated to be 1.5% and that the average age at onset is 24, these findings support an unusually strong association between velo-cardio-facial syndrome and early-onset bipolar disorder and suggest that a gene deleted at the 22q11 chromosomal locus may be involved in its pathogenesis. If confirmed, these findings may provide a new and fruitful line of investigation into the molecular basis of bipolar spectrum disorders.
Behavioral domains adversely associated with prenatal exposure to LMW phthalates in our study are commonly found to be affected in children clinically diagnosed with conduct or attention deficit hyperactivity disorders.