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Several recent studies have called into question the traditional categorical distinction between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia (e.g., JW Psychiatry Feb 9 2009). By examining the familial coaggregation of the two disorders in a meta-analysis of 66 studies, these researchers add to the discussion of common risk factors.
Consistent with most research, the risk for schizophrenia was significantly higher in first-degree relatives (FDRs) of schizophrenia probands than in FDRs of controls (odds ratio, 8.38), and the risk for bipolar disorder was higher in FDRs of bipolar-disorder probands than in FDRs of controls (OR, 24.47). A relatively new finding was that the risk for bipolar disorder was significantly higher in FDRs of schizophrenia proba…