Five years ago, the automotive industry was stunned by the suicide of one of its most brilliant stars, Heinz Prechter. He killed himself despite the fact that he seemed to everyone to have it all: a successful company he had built from nothing after coming to America, a beautiful and intelligent wife, wonderful children, and dozens of loyal friends.

But Prechter also had something else, something that almost no one else knew about: he had bipolar disorder. For years he suffered violent moods swings during which his emotions would shift from extreme happiness to devastating lows. During one of those lows, he took his own life. In other words, bipolar disorder killed Heinz Prechter.

Today, the tragedy of his death is driving scientists at the University of Michigan Health System and elsewhere to perform research that should give hope to the 5.7 million Americans who have bipolar disorder, and to their loved ones.

The Prechter DNA project is trying to identify specific differences within genes that might work together to make a person more likely to develop bipolar disorder – or more likely to have frequent or severe “manic” and depressed episodes over the course of their life. The scientists also are looking for genes that might make someone with bipolar disorder more likely to have lifelong depression at the same time.

This, in turn, could help lead to tests that could tell doctors which medications might work best for each patient, and keep them balanced and well over the long term. It may also lead to blood tests to help identify which members of a family are most at risk of developing bipolar.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 10 Oct 2006
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.