Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder

What's Interesting?

Bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed as

depression in women and schizophrenia in men.

Etiology

Who Discovered it?

Jean-Pierre Falret specifically detailed the main characteristic of bipolar disorder which the fluctuation between euphoria and depression.

Evaluation

Environmental?

Kelly A. Ryan et. al.

+ Large Sample Size

+ Laboratory Experiment

- Confounding Variables

- Only Female Participants

• Life events can trigger the mood fluctuations
• Similar fluctuations can be achieved by the usage of narcotics

Stem Cell Research

Biological?

What's Interesting?

Vincent Van Gogh is said to have suffered from bipolar disorder

+ Laboratory Experiment

+ Little Room for Bias

- Small Sample Size

- Artificiality

• One bipolar parent gives the child a 15-30% of developing bipolar disorder
• Two bipolar parents give the child a 50-75% of developing bipolar disorder
• Serotonin, Dopamine, and Noradrenaline have been pointed out for malfunctioning and possibly causing a chemical inbalance in the brain

Current Research

Stem Cell Research

Kelly A. Ryan et.al.

Statistics

• Studied the activation and dysfunction of the brain of women diagnosed with bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder.
• Lower activation of right posterior parietal cortex.
• Led to a better understanding of the symptom of unclear thinking as well as more research toward diagnostic tools for mood disorders.

Men vs. Women

Both men and women have the same likelihood to develop bipolar disorder. However, women experience rap cycling more often.

Children vs. Adults

• Skin cells from the arm of patients with bipolar disorder are coaxed into stem cells, then into neurons of the brain
• Able to study the effects of treatments and environmental factors on the molecular mechanisms of the cells of patients with bipolar disorder.

Both have the same chance of developing bipolar disorder. But the symptoms can be presented in different ways between them.

Conclusions:

Treatments

• lithium is commonly used
• patient-to-patient support
• family oriented therapy
• antidepressants

• Symptoms of bipolar disorder can be linked to neurobiological dysfunction.
• The neurons from bipolar participants expressed more genes for membrane receptors and ion channels.

What's Interesting?

Manic episodes can be brought upon by irregular

sleeping patterns

What's Interesting?

Bipolar disorder provides evidence that

mental illness has biological

Symptoms

Different Forms

• Bipolar I: previously having at least one manic episode that may have led to a break from reality
• Bipolar II: previously having at least one depressive episode and at least one hypomanic, less severe manic, episode.

Depressive Behaviors

• hopelessness
• loss of interest in many activities
• significant weight change
• insomnia
• sleeping too much
• slow behavior
• fatigue
• indecisiveness
• feelings of worthlessness
• thoughts of suicide

Manic Behaviors

• abnormal upbeatness
• increased agitation
• racing thoughts
• poor decision making
• exaggerated self-confidence
• talkativeness
• decreased need for rest
• short attention span