Bipolar disorder

•Better understanding of risk factors that can be used to improve detection and treatment urgently needed
•People with bipolar disorder are 2.63 times more likely to have suffered emotional, physical or sexual abuse as children

Structured group psychoeducation sessions could be more successful in treating patients in the early stages of bipolar disorder than standard peer-support offered by the NHS and the voluntary sector, research has found.

Biologists find a possible explanation for why the drug helps bipolar patients.

JUPITER, FL – Bipolar disorder, which affects nearly eight million Americans, takes a toll not only on patients, but also on their families and communities.

Child maltreatment could predict a range of negative outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder (BD), according to new King’s College London research, which adds to growing evidence on the enduring mental health impact of childhood abuse and neglect.

New observations show that older bipolar patients often have decreased activity in the hormone system responsible for the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol. Low levels of cortisol in bipolar patients were also associated with depression, low quality of life, obesity, dyslipidaemia and metabolic syndrome. These discoveries could provide important clues as to how treatment strategies for depression and bipolar disorder can be improved, according to a dissertation at Umeå University.

DALLAS – – In the first study of its kind, a team of international scientists led by UT Southwestern Medical Center and UCLA researchers has identified a dozen inherited traits related to sleep, wake, and activity cycles that are associated with severe bipolar disorder.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, and the Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University in Sweden have identified a gene variant linked to psychotic symptoms and cognitive impairment in people with bipolar disorder. The study, which is published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, describes a possible mechanism for how the gene variant produces clinical symptoms by affecting levels of specific proteins in the brain.

A drug destined for the scrap heap has been rescued by Oxford scientists, who may have found it a new role in treating bipolar disorder.

Study among first to show how manic-depressive disorder affects neurons

A new Salk study, among the first to show how bipolar disorder affects neurons in the brain, also discovers fundamental differences in patient cells

Meredith Ross and Dan Wheelahan

Researchers at Garvan, Neuroscience Research Australia and UNSW Australia are embarking on a collaborative project to sequence the genomes of family groups living with bipolar disorder. In doing so, they anticipate identifying some of the complex genetic factors that underlie the disease. The project is supported by the MLC Community Foundation.

Study in young patients confirms value of short-term use; results on long-term use forthcoming

New research published today in the British Journal of Psychiatry suggests that serious disorders of mood such as bipolar disorder may be the price that human beings have had to pay for more adaptive traits such as intelligence, creativity and verbal proficiency.

In this study, the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire and Child Behavior Checklist were used to assess the temperament of 30 toddlers between the ages of 18-36 months whose mothers have bipolar disorder.

A recent study examining the temperament and behavior of toddlers whose mothers have bipolar disorder shows that toddlers who struggle with frustration, restraint and negative emotions may be at increased risk for behavioral problems over time. The study was published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.

By Bill Hathaway – In adolescents with bipolar disorder, key areas of the brain that help regulate emotions develop differently, a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers shows.

Tel Aviv University researchers find insulin-like hormoneincreases lithium sensitivity in patients

Columbus, OH – New research published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry indicates a strong link between subthreshold manic episodes and likelihood of developing bipolar disorder in children of parents with bipolar disorder. The study’s findings could improve clinical assessment and care for these high-risk children by potentially enabling earlier identification, treatment or possible preventive measures.

Tiny structures found in brain synapses help scientists better understand disorder

In 1942, when Janice A. Egeland was only 8, she already had her sights set on a career in medical research. Inspired by Paul de Kruif’s 1926 classic book Microbe Hunters, she wrote in her diary that she hoped someday to make a medical discovery that would help sick people.

In 1942, when Janice A. Egeland was only 8, she already had her sights set on a career in medical research. Inspired by Paul de Kruif’s 1926 classic book Microbe Hunters, she wrote in her diary that she hoped someday to make a medical discovery that would help sick people.

UMMS researchers uncover genetic pathway that could lead to better treatments

In 1942, when Janice A. Egeland was only 8, she already had her sights set on a career in medical research. Inspired by Paul de Kruif’s 1926 classic book Microbe Hunters, she wrote in her diary that she hoped someday to make a medical discovery that would help sick people.

Resting neurons actively regulate gene expression through calcium signaling

Project led by Concordia University helps families cope with mental illness

The physical and mental health of Robert Burns is being explored by literary and medical experts at a symposium being organised by the University of Glasgow today (Thursday 29 May).

Providing the brain with an energy boost could be a new way to treat bipolar depression.