Bipolar Disorder News and Research

Latest Bipolar Disorder News and Research

Genetics may underpin psychiatric comorbidity in bipolar patients

Relatives of people with bipolar disorder are at an increased risk of developing not only bipolarity but also other psychiatric disorders, according to Swedish researchers.

20 Aug 2014

Rare mutation in suspect gene disrupts brain circuitry in complex psychiatric disorders

Researchers have long suspected that major mental disorders are genetically-rooted diseases of synapses - the connections between neurons.

18 Aug 2014

Illness-linked genetic variation affects connections among neurons in the developing brain

A genetic variation linked to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe depression wreaks havoc on connections among neurons in the developing brain, a team of researchers reports.

16 Aug 2014

Affective temperaments linked to neurocognition in BD

Affective temperaments are correlated with neurocognitive functioning in people with bipolar disorder, clinical research suggests.

13 Aug 2014

Research: First effective web-based treatment for bipolar disorder

The first effective web-based treatment for Bipolar Disorder based on the latest research evidence has been developed by psychologists.

12 Aug 2014

Postoperative 'doctor shopping' linked to higher narcotic use among orthopaedic patients

"Doctor shopping," the growing practice of obtaining narcotic prescriptions from multiple providers, has led to measurable increases in drug use among postoperative trauma patients.

12 Aug 2014

Viewpoints: The doctor is in -- at Walmart; a 'hole' in the Halbig strategy

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. wants to disrupt another mass market: health care. The company is piloting what it hopes will be a broad network of primary-care clinics.

12 Aug 2014

Alexza Pharmaceuticals announces availability of ADASUVE inhalation powder in Guatemala

Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that ADASUVE inhalation powder, pre-dispensed (loxapine) is now available in Guatemala. This approval represents the first ADASUVE approval in Latin America for Ferrer and Alexza.

8 Aug 2014

Web-based psychological self-help may aid bipolar patients

A web-based self-management programme appears to be feasible and may be effective as an intervention for people with bipolar disorder.

7 Aug 2014

Duration of undiagnosed bipolar disorder unrelated to treatment response

The duration of undiagnosed bipolar disorder is unrelated to patients’ clinical status or their response to mood-stabilising medication, study findings indicate.

6 Aug 2014

‘Soft’ bipolar spectrum disorders differ from depression

The neurocognitive function of patients with major depression who fall into the “soft” bipolar spectrum resembles that of patients with bipolar II disorder rather than those with unipolar depression, say researchers.

31 Jul 2014

Depressive bipolar patients have highest post-discharge suicide risk

Patients hospitalised with bipolar disorder are at the greatest risk of suicide immediately after discharge, and the rate at which the risk declines depends on the illness phase, Finnish researchers report.

30 Jul 2014

Impaired emotion recognition runs in families with psychosis

Difficulty recognising facial emotions is common to patients with psychosis and their close relatives, shows research.

24 Jul 2014

Earlier treatment better for bipolar patients

Patients with bipolar disorder are more likely to respond to lithium if the treatment is started early in the course of the condition, say researchers.

24 Jul 2014

Impulse control predicts euthymia in bipolar disorder

Patients with bipolar disorder who have good trait impulse control are likely to respond better to treatment than those with poor impulse control, say researchers.

23 Jul 2014

Astrocytes may be behind mental disorders, new research reveals

Astrocytes, the cells that make the background of the brain and support neurons, might be behind mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia, according to new research by a Portuguese team from the ICVS at the University of Minho.

23 Jul 2014

Research findings could lead to new approaches for treating schizophrenia

As part of a multinational, collaborative effort, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have helped identify over 100 locations in the human genome associated with the risk of developing schizophrenia, in the largest genomic study published on any psychiatric disorder to date, conducted with 80,000 people.

23 Jul 2014

Brain stimulation effective for treating depression

Brain stimulation treatments, like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), are often effective for the treatment of depression. Like antidepressant medications, however, they typically have a delayed onset.

22 Jul 2014

Findings point to biological mechanisms and pathways that may underlie schizophrenia

As part of a multinational, collaborative effort, researchers from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and scores of other institutions from all over the world have helped identify over 100 locations in the human genome associated with the risk of developing schizophrenia, in what is the largest genomic study published on any psychiatric disorder to date.

22 Jul 2014

Use ADHD questionnaire ‘with caution’ in bipolar patients

A questionnaire used to determine whether or not someone has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder should be used with caution in patients with bipolar disorder, Swiss researchers suggest.

16 Jul 2014