According to a study conducted by United Kingdom researchers, the researchers found that higher IQ in children is linked to development of bipolar disorder in later life.

To prove this, the scientists at the University of Glasgow studied data collected from a large birth cohort in order to determine the intelligence quotient (IQ) of 1,881 children at the age of eight years old. They again examined the participants for manic traits when they were 22 to 23 years old.

The team made use of a checklist used for diagnosing bipolar disorder. Each participant was provided a score of up to 100 and participants who received a score within the top 10 percent of manic traits were found to have a childhood IQ that is close to 10 points higher compared to those who were included in the lower 10 percent of the group.

"A high IQ is not a clear-cut risk factor for bipolar, but perhaps the genes that confer intelligence can get expressed as illness in the context of other risk factors, such as exposure to maternal influenza in the womb or childhood sexual abuse," Smith said.

The research was published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

By Lizitha