What diagram was Kay Jamison preparing to show the inheritance patterns of manic depression in her family?
The correct answer and explanation is :
Kay Redfield Jamison, a renowned clinical psychologist and researcher specializing in mood disorders, prepared a pedigree chart to illustrate the inheritance patterns of manic depression (bipolar disorder) in her family. A pedigree chart is a diagram that maps out family relationships and traces the occurrence of a specific genetic trait or disorder across multiple generations.
Explanation (300 Words)
Kay Redfield Jamison, in her memoir An Unquiet Mind, recounts her personal struggle with bipolar disorder while also exploring the genetic and hereditary aspects of the illness. Given her background as both a clinician and a patient, she recognized the importance of mapping the disorder within her own family to better understand its transmission.
A pedigree chart is a widely used genetic tool that helps visualize the inheritance of traits through generations. It employs standardized symbols: squares for males, circles for females, shaded shapes for affected individuals, and connecting lines to represent familial relationships. This method allows researchers to identify potential patterns of inheritance, whether they follow dominant, recessive, or complex genetic models.
Jamison’s interest in constructing a pedigree chart stemmed from her observation that bipolar disorder often ran in families, suggesting a strong genetic component. Her chart likely showed multiple affected family members across generations, supporting the hypothesis that bipolar disorder has a hereditary basis.
Modern genetic research aligns with her observations, indicating that bipolar disorder has polygenic inheritance, meaning multiple genes contribute to its development rather than a single dominant or recessive gene. Environmental factors also play a crucial role in triggering episodes.
Understanding the genetic aspect of bipolar disorder helps in early diagnosis, treatment planning, and reducing stigma. Kay Jamison’s work continues to be instrumental in bridging personal experience with scientific research, offering insights into both the clinical and human dimensions of mental illness.
Here is the pedigree chart illustrating the inheritance pattern of bipolar disorder in a family, similar to what Kay Jamison would have prepared.