What Is B-SNIP?

B-SNIP is a large-scale study, funded in 2007 by the National Institute of Mental Health.
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder both “run in families” although how they are inherited and which genes and environmental factors are the most relevant are not well understood. Neither is it clear how these factors affect brain structure and function, personality or cognitive abilities.

The purpose of the B-SNIP study is to discover how the risk for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is transmitted in families, to identify the most important risk genes and to measure the other factors listed above.

Because the study is interested in measuring risk for the illnesses, we are as interested in assessing close family members as we are in examining people with the actual disorder.

In order to do this several thousand people will be recruited at six sites throughout the United States, in Hartford/New Haven Connecticut, Baltimore Maryland, Detroit Michigan, Chicago Illinois, Dallas Texas and Boston Massachusetts. The study will assess people with schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder or bipolar (manic-depressive) illness and their close family members, (brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers) on a variety of biological measures that seem to be associated with risk for the disorder.

Principal Investigators.To log in and access the wiki click here. Download the Brochure (pdf).To view the B-Snip art click here.

Greater Connecticut B-SNIP Video Clip