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Post by Mike Quigley on Apr 23, 2016 8:09:05 GMT -5
Hi, I took Dr. Alexander's Evolution and Human Behavior course at UofM in the mid-70"s and it left a lasting impression. Yesterday, at UofM-Dearborn I attended the first public showing of the documentary "Ride the Tiger: A Guide Through the Bipolar Brain". Details are at: www.pbs.org/ride-the-tiger/home/The showing was followed by a panel/discussion, including Dr. Melvin McInnis who leads the UofM Health System's research on Bipolar Disorder. Dr. McInnis said that when he first started up his bipolar research effort, that he had hoped to link the disorder to a specific gene or genes. However, he found a larger number of genes linked to the disorder and a highly complex interaction among them. Research is still ongoing. I asked if anyone had ever approached the bipolar condition from an evolutionary standpoint whereby the condition isn't seen as a disorder, but an adaptive trait that at some point in human history provided a competitive advantage. Dr. McInnis said he wasn't aware of any specific research in this area but noted that one of his colleagues speculated that high-risk, dangerous behavior of bipolar people may have been advantageous in primitive times. Is anyone aware of such a research approach? I'd greatly appreciate any information or suggestions that forum members might wish to provide here, or by emailing me at: michael.a.quigley@comcast.net thanks, Mike Quigley
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