Bipolar Disorder
A disorder associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs.
The exact cause of bipolar disorder isn’t known, but a combination of genetics, environment, and altered brain structure and chemistry may play a role.
Manic episodes may include symptoms such as high energy, reduced need for sleep, and loss of touch with reality.
Depressive episodes may include symptoms such as low energy, low motivation, and loss of interest in daily activities. Mood episodes last days to months at a time and may also be associated with suicidal thoughts.
Treatment is usually lifelong and often involves a combination of medications and psychotherapy.
Cluster Number:
Wiki Number: W023
Diagnosis: Bipolar Disorder
US Patients: 3% in lifetime
World Patients: W2%
Sex Ratio:
Age Onset: Age 25
Brain Area: Below (ventral)pfc, less active on left for depression; on the right for mania.
Symptoms: 71% genetic +childhood abuse and stress; substance abuse; impulsive
Progression: 6% suicide, 35% self-harm;4 days down-months/7 days mania
Causes: dopamine higher in manic; lower in depressive; manic, glutamate higher in left pfc in manic
Medications: lithium, anti-psychotics-in-manic phase; mood-stabilizers; only lithium for children
Therapies: Teaching coping strategies for relapses and taking medication consistently
4 CURRENT ARTICLES
FROM PUBMED
The world-wide medical research
reports chosen for each diagnosis
Clicking each title opens the
PubMed article’s summary-abstract.
- Distinct Effects of Antidepressants in Association With Mood Stabilizers and/or Antipsychotics in Unipolar and Bipolar Depressionby Christophe Moderie on January 24, 2022
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: There is a dearth of studies comparing the clinical outcomes of patients with treatment-resistant unipolar (TRD) depression and depression in bipolar disorder (BD) despite similar treatment strategies. We aimed to evaluate the effects of the pharmacological combinations (antidepressants [AD], mood stabilizers [MS], and/or antipsychotics [AP]) used for TRD and BD at the McGill University Health Center.
- Characterisation of Deficits and Sex Differences in Verbal and Visual Memory/Learning in Bipolar Disorderby Andrea Gogos on January 24, 2022
CONCLUSION: The present study found trait-like verbal and visual memory/learning impairment in BD that was attributable to deficient encoding and/or consolidation processes rather than deficits in learning. We did not find marked sex differences in either visual or verbal memory/learning measures, although some trend level effects were apparent and deserve exploration in future studies.
- The Promise of Residential Treatment to Support Functional and Vocational Recovery for Young Adults with Bipolar Disorderby Dagoberto Heredia on January 24, 2022
This case presentation describes how interdisciplinary perspectives can be leveraged to minimize health disparities and improve the quality of life of people living with serious mental illness (SMI). We describe how a young-adult patient with severe Bipolar I Disorder and suicidal behaviors benefited from receiving multi-modal interventions at a residential treatment program with a focus on obtaining competitive employment and independent living. The premise of our model of care is that...
- The prevalence and incidence of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease in depression and bipolar disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysisby Viktoriya L Nikolova on January 24, 2022
CONCLUSIONS: People with depression are at an increased risk of both having and developing lower gastrointestinal disorders. These findings have important implications for how we understand, manage and prevent this comorbidity in clinical practice. Further studies are needed to improve our understanding of the relationship between bipolar disorder and bowel disease as well as the role of psychotropic medication, particularly SSRIs.