Gene Hunt Hints at Cause of Bipolar Disorder

A gene hunt among more than 4,000 British, Irish and American patients suffering from bipolar disorder has turned up two genes that put new emphasis on a possible cause of the disease.

Both genes are involved in ion channels, the minute pores in nerve cells which let charged atoms rush in and out. This is the heart of the process that sends an electrical signal from one end of the nerve to the other.

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The yin and yang of genes for mood disorders

Individual genes do not cause depression, but they are thought to increase the probability of an individual having a depression in the face of other accumulating risk factors, such as other genes and environmental stressors. One gene that has been shown to increase the risk for depression in the context of multiple stressful life events is the gene for the serotonin transporter protein. This gene is responsible for making the protein that is targeted by all current drug treatments for depression. In a number of studies it has been shown that people who inherit one form of this gene, called SLC6A4, are at up to four times the risk of depression if they experience unusual stresses in their lives. Basic science experiments and imaging studies in normal people suggest that the way this form of the gene affects risk for depression is by impacting on the development of a system in the brain that mediates how negative environmental stresses and threats feel. The effects of this serotonin gene on this brain system are thought to occur early in development, where the shaping of brain systems related to how the environment is experienced emotionally is critically determined.

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Tamoxifen may help treat mania in patients with bipolar disorder

A small, three-week trial of tamoxifen, a drug typically used to treat breast cancer, indicates that it also may decrease symptoms of mania in patients with bipolar disorder, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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ABILIFY approved for acute treatment of bipolar I disorder in patients 10 to 17 years old

Otsuka-sponsored study evaluated use of ABILIFY for the acute treatment of manic and mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in pediatric patients 10 to 17 years of age

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Chemical signature of manic depression discovered by scientists

People with manic depression have a distinct chemical signature in their brains, according to a new study. The research, published today in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, may also indicate how the mood stabilisers used to treat the disorder counteract the changes in the brain that it appears to cause.

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Studies find stable sleep patterns and regular routines may improve outcomes in bipolar disorder

Findings provide insight into influence of circadian rhythms

Bipolar disorder, commonly known as manic-depressive disorder, is highly influenced by the circadian system the bodys internal clock and a specific kind of psychotherapy may help decrease irregularities in the circadian system that can trigger key symptoms of bipolar disorder, according to a study presented today at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting. The results are important because they show for the first time that psychotherapy which focuses on practical lifestyle changes can ease the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Every year nearly six million American adults suffer from bipolar disorder, a brain disorder which causes severe shifts in mood, energy, and ability to function, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

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Major Geriatric Bipolar Disorder Study Now Under Way

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester’s Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry Leads First Multi-Site Investigation of Two Commonly Used Mood-Stabilizing Drugs Participants Aged 60+ Sought to Help Complete the Five-Year NIMH-Funded Study

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The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Launches Online Video Contest

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) has launched a national, online video contest, Facing Us. The contest is a part of a larger campaign aimed at putting a real face on
depression and bipolar disorder, two illnesses that affect as many as 35 million Americans.

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Breast Cancer Drug Beats Bipolar Disorder

A drug more commonly associated with breast cancer treatment is holding out new promise for people suffering through the manic phase of bipolar disorder.

Researchers report tamoxifen (Nolvadex) effectively targets a key protein in the brain thought to go into overdrive when bipolar disorder turns from depression into mania. In a study involving 16 patients who received either tamoxifen or a placebo, 63 percent in the active treatment group saw a relief of their symptoms by the end of three weeks versus just 13 percent on the sham pill.

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Rates of bipolar diagnosis in youth rapidly climbing, treatment patterns similar to adults

The number of visits to a doctors office that resulted in a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents has increased by 40 times over the last decade, reported researchers funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Over the same time period, the number of visits by adults resulting in a bipolar disorder diagnosis almost doubled. The cause of these increases is unclear. Medication prescription patterns for the two groups were similar. The study was published in the September 2007 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

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