Bipolar Disorder News and Research

Latest Bipolar Disorder News and Research

Bipolar survey indicates how patient satisfaction is achieved

Preliminary results from a large-scale global study of people living with bipolar disorder, presented today at the World Congress of Biological Psychiatry (WCBP), found that patient satisfaction with treatment is achieved through combining broad-based efficacy with a favourable tolerability profile.

30 Jun 2005

Results of global bipolar disorder consumer survey

The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) today announced results of a global bipolar disorder consumer survey, Thinking Ahead, at the World Congress of Biological Psychiatry.

29 Jun 2005

Mental health declining in American teenagers

Adolescents in the United States are more likely to suffer from a mental health disorder than ever before, but getting these teens diagnosed and cared for is a challenge that is not being met, a new book warns.

28 Jun 2005

Brain differences in bipolar disorder shown in MRI

Experts in the U.S., in an attempt to define the abnormalities in the brains of people with bipolar disorder, have used used functional MRI to measure levels of metabolic activity in different areas of the brain.

21 Jun 2005

Research suggests that children with a neuropsychiatric disease may be at risk for type 2 diabetes, and vice versa

As many as one in five children with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes may also have a neuropsychiatric disorder, according to a new study. The illnesses include depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, developmental delay, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.

20 Jun 2005

Seroquel (quetiapine), may be an effective treatment option for patients with schizophrenia

A new study, published in the journal Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, shows that the atypical antipsychotic Seroquel (quetiapine), may be an effective treatment option for patients with schizophrenia who exhibit aggressive behaviour during psychotic episodes.

19 Jun 2005

Bipolar disorder more prevalent and costly than believed

The incidence of bipolar disorder in the general population is considerably higher than earlier studies have indicated, resulting in significantly less productivity and more days lost from work compared to the better known major depressive disorder, according to preliminary findings from a national survey presented today at the Sixth International Conference on Bipolar Disorder.

19 Jun 2005

Specific genetic linkages to bipolar disorder

Despite an intensive effort, researchers have yet to identify the genes that cause bipolar disorder, yet the practical benefits of such a discovery could reap rich rewards for those suffering from the mental illness.

16 Jun 2005

Rheumatoid arthritis costs more to business and industry than almost any other disease

Speaking at a rheumatology congress in Vienna today (Thursday 9 June), USA experts estimated that RA costs employers over $4,000 more per person, per year.

9 Jun 2005

Mental health problems in teens go untreated for decades

Researchers in the U.S. say many mental disorders afflicting millions of Americans are often evident in adolescence but usually go untreated for years.

7 Jun 2005

Chemicals in Cannabis may help mentally ill

Smoking cannabis which has previously been shown to damage mental health, now according to a new study may be useful in relieving the symptoms of severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder.

6 Jun 2005

Pathological gambling accompanies myriad of psychological disorders for some veterans

American Indian and Hispanic veterans are much more likely than the general population to be pathological gamblers, and their addiction is likely accompanied by several psychological disorders, according to a study of 1,221 such veterans in the southwest and north central United States.

27 Apr 2005

FDA issues public health advisory for antipsychotic drugs

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a public health advisory to alert health care providers, patients, and patient caregivers to new safety information concerning an unapproved (i.e., “off-label”) use of certain drugs called “atypical antipsychotic drugs.”

12 Apr 2005

FDA wants warnings put on antipsychotic drugs

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a public health advisory to health care providers, patients, and caregivers to alert them to new safety information about the use of certain unapproved or off label drugs which come under the category of “atypical antipsychotic drugs.”

11 Apr 2005

New directions toward the treatment of bipolar disorder

While lithium treatment has proven to be a godsend for many of the two million Americans with bipolar disorder, it is not without its downside. People on the drug may develop hypothyroidism, tremors, cognitive impairment, and excessive thirst and urination and gain weight.

23 Mar 2005

Anticonvulsant drug valproate poses greater birth-defect risk than suspected

Use of the anticonvulsant drug valproate during pregnancy may pose a significantly great risk of birth defects than does use of other antiseizure medications.

22 Mar 2005

Is life getting manic? A survey of bipolar symptoms in the community

A group of investigators of he University of Bologna have tested the frequency of symptoms related to the psychiatric concept of mania (being easily distracted, irritable, with racing thoughts, etc..) in the community.

21 Mar 2005

Nose cells provide a window into the brain

In the first study to examine living nerve cells from patients with psychiatric disease, scientists from the Monell Chemical Senses Center, the University of Pennsylvania, and collaborating institutions report altered nerve cell function in olfactory receptor neurons from patients with bipolar disorder.

1 Mar 2005

Second-generation Antidepressants

A recent article in the prestigious British Medical Journal seems to confirm an increased risk for suicidal behavior among adults taking popular antidepressants. This follows evidence that certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may have a similar effect among children and adolescents.

27 Feb 2005

Early diagnosis and treatment is important for children and adolescents with bipolar disorder

"These new guidelines were formulated by a group of leading experts in child psychiatry and are the most up-to-date and comprehensive set of guidelines for the treatment of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder," said Dr. Kowatch. "They represent a major step towards practicing evidence-based medicine in this difficult to treat group of patients.

22 Feb 2005