This article will discuss about bipolar illness and is also called manic-depressive illness. He will discuss the causes and prevalence of bipolar illness. It will also discuss the signs and symptoms of the disease. The diagnosis and treatment of bipolar will be discussed. Several studies are included in this article. Causes of Bipolar Disorder and Prevalence The causes of bipolar illness vary among individuals. Available research indicates that genetic changes account for up to 90% of reported cases (Fagiolini et al., 2013). This indicates that there is a close link with hereditary components. Studies interested in genetics reveal that the cause of this medical condition manifests itself in the candidate and chromosomal regions. This link is relevant because the regions are the main areas where the disease is rife. The disease tends to run in families, and research shows that some people are more likely to develop the disease than others. For example, children who have a sibling or parent with bipolar disorder are more likely to get the illness than those from a family without a history of the illness. However, this does not mean that children from a family with the disease must develop it. Current technological advances in genetic research are improving the understanding of bipolar illness. The research uses a database to link genes that influence its cause to visible signs. There are also studies of diseases with similar symptoms, which will help reveal a lot about the disease. Common symptoms that scientists focus their research on are schizophrenia and depression. The goal is to identify genetic differences that ultimately increase the risk of suffering from the disease. Results of ...... middle of article ......, Forgione, R., Maccari, M., Cuomo, A., Morana, B., Dell'osso, M., & .. Rossi, A. (2013). Prevalence, chronicity, burden, and limitations of bipolar disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, 148, 161-169. Kanske, P., Heissler, J., Schönfelder, S., Forneck, J. and Wessa, M. (2013). Neural correlates of emotional distraction in patients with bipolar disorder, unaffected relatives, and individuals with hypomanic personality. American Journal of Psychiatry, 170, 1487-1496. Nery, F., Monkul, ES and Lafer, B. (2013). Gray matter abnormalities as factors of structural brain vulnerability for bipolar disorder: review of neuroimaging studies in individuals at high genetic risk for bipolar disorder. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 47, 1124-1135. Phillips, M. and Kupfer, D. (2013). Diagnosis of bipolar disorder: challenges and future directions.Lancet, 381, 1663-1671.