This article is a study conducted on the effects of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) on the cognitive functions in bipolar disorder (BD). This article informs the readers that BD, a disorder characterized by extreme mood swings of mania and depression. BD is also found to alter cognitive functions. The use of NAC as a form of treatment is an adjunct therapy for the symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder as NAC intake showed an increase in antioxidant and glutathione levels, decrease inflammatory cytokines, and enhance neurogenesis. The double-blind and placebo-controlled study mentioned in this article was to determine if 2000 mg per day of NAC intake would improve cognitive function in a period of six months. The participants were randomly assigned to taking 2000mg/day of NAC or a placebo. After six months, the results of the NAC intake showed that symptoms of depression in bipolar disorder improved. The functioning and quality of life also improved, but there was no change in the cognitive functions of a person with bipolar disorder. This study, however, was not able to support its hypothesis on cognitive improvement, but it emphasized NAC’s effectiveness in bipolar disorder therapy. Several factors limited the findings. The short timeframe and small sample size provided an unsuccessful result. Experiments and further investigations with a longer duration and larger sample size should be carried out to confirm the effects of NAC in bipolar disorder. This article was not
There is no known specific pathophysiology that is associated with Bipolar spectrum disorder, nonetheless, it’s thought that this disorder arises from many areas such as, genetic, physiological, environmental, epigenetics and psychosocial
Bipolar disorder also known as manic depression has always been a mystery since the 16th century. History has shown that it can appear in almost everyone. Bipolar disorder causes mood swings in energy, thinking, and other behavior. Having a bipolar disorder can be very disabling (Kapczinski). A study was evaluated and about 1.3% of the U.S population of people suffers from bipolar disorder. Stressors and environmental influences can trigger and cause a person to go through numerous episodes. Bipolar disorder is characterized according to the severity of the stages. According to Kapczinski, there are four different stages that a person with bipolar disorder can experience. The prognosis of a disorder is different in each particular patient
Biological: Researchers believe that some neurotransmitters, including serotonin and dopamine, don’t function properly in individuals with bipolar disorder.
This source gives the readers an in-depth overview of Bipolar Disorder and the causes of having the mental health issue. There’s a great distinction between the ups and downs people experience and bipolar disorder. Due to the ups and downs teens and children experience, bipolar disorder is hard to diagnose during those early years. The National Center of Biotechnology Information’s research program is run by Senior Investigators, Tenure Track Investigators, Staff Scientists, and Postdoctoral Fellows which makes the source credible. The source contained
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that is often characterized by the general public as a mood swing disorder. In reality bipolar disorder is more severe than just a mood swings, especially in children. Bipolar disorder comes with two forms, type I and type II. Both forms of bipolar disorder are severe and both types should receive treatment. For the purpose of this research bipolar type I will be the focus. More specifically this research will be focusing on bipolar type I in children and youth. Bipolar type I is described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) as characterized by multiple episodes of mania that last at least a week or by episodes of mania that hospitalization is needed (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2014;”Bipolar disorder”,
Mental illness affects 1 in 5 adults in the United States. This amounts to about 43.8 million or 18.5% of adults in the United States ("Any Mental Illness Among U.S Adults," n.d). This shows how prevalent mental illness really is in our society. More specifically, Bipolar Disorder is found in about 2.6% of the adult population ("Bipolar Disorder Among Adults," n.d). Bipolar disorder ranges in severity but the majority of the cases are considered severe. Bipolar Disorder is broken down into three categories as follows: Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and Cyclothymic Disorder. For the duration of the paper, Bipolar I Disorder will be referenced. Bipolar disorder is characterized by manic episodes that may alternate with depression or agitation. The etiology of Bipolar Disorder is biological and environmental. It is a strongly heritable disease at approximately 80-90% heritability. Bipolar Disorder is related to neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin and their dysregulation in the body. Excessive amounts may lead to mania while too few may lead to depression. Environmental stressors or trauma also contribute to the development of bipolar disorder (Halter, 2014). The patient that will be discussed in this paper is a forty-one year old African American woman who was involuntary committed to Montgomery County Emergency Services (MCES) as a result of severe mania and psychotic symptoms.
(2000) explained that the prevalence of bipolar spectrum disorder is between 2.6% and 6.5%, which can be compared to the prevalence of drug abuse which is 4.4%. Bipolar can be classified as a spectrum disorder because it forms an umbrella for bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, cyclothymia, and bipolar disorder not otherwise specified. Unfortunately, bipolar spectrum disorders often go undiagnosed and therefore untreated. With that, Hirschfelt et all (2000), emphasizes the importance of recognizing this disorder. With recognition, these individuals can seek intervention for this disorder and decrease its symptoms and its progression. One way to diagnose this disorder is to screen for it by performing a mood disorder questionnaire. The researchers created a one-page, self-report, paper-and-pencil inventory that can be easily evaluated and administered. The questions were derived from the DSM-IV criteria at the time, but have been updated to the newest version’s clinical
Bipolar disorder is a chemical imbalance in the mind that has yet to be unwound; it causes numerous emotional episodes that can happen immediately without a word. With a number of mental illnesses to diagnose them, it requires significant time and perception with a health care provider. Treatment is additionally a viewpoint that takes arranging and reflection, generally on how the patient feels in response to the solution that they are taking and different types of treatment. Albeit, bipolar disorder is a complex ailment to diagnose, there are a few option medicines utilized as a part of conjunction with drugs that can be successful in dealing with this mental illness.
Bipolar affective disorder has been a mystery since the 16th century. History has shown that this disorder can appear in almost anyone. Even the great painter Vincent Van Gogh is believed to have had bipolar disorder. It is clear that in our society many people live with bipolar disorder, however, despite the amount of people suffering from it, we are still waiting for explanations for the causes and cure. The one fact of which we are aware is that bipolar disorder severely undermines its victim's ability to obtain and maintain social and occupational success. Because bipolar disorder has such debilitating symptoms, it is important that we keep looking for explanations of its causes and for more ways to treat this disorder.
Manic-depressive is an illness in the brain that causes an unusual shift in moods. It may drastically hinder the ability to complete day-to-day tasks. Bipolar disorder often has its first episode in late childhood or adolescence (Miklowitz). It may be hard to recognize the difference of manic-depressive episodes and normal ups and downs in children or teens, but certain distinct major depressive or manic episodes should be recognizable as they are repeated. Approximately 50%–67% of adults with Bipolar Disorder report onset of their first episode before the age of 18 years and between 15% and 28% before the age of 13 years (Miklowitz). But, it has been proven that 10% of all patients with Bipolar Disorder develop their illness after the age of 50 (Sajatovic). Effective treatments of Bipolar Disorder in adults have been researched and discovered as recent as in the past century. With this disorder dating back to the Greeks and the Romans, the concept of treating Bipolar Disorder is fairly new but has been taken to different levels in society. There are many different types if treatments that have been proven to reduce the amount or how extreme episodes may be. There are different types of medication such as Lithium, a variety of anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and antipsychotics. There are human related treatments as well, such as family focused treatment, psychotherapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (Zaretsky). It is
There are not nearly as many treatments for bipolar disorder. In fact, there is only one treatment that seems to have lasting effects. This treatment uses therapy with a professional coupled with medications. “Antibipolar drugs, also called mood stabilizers, help steady the mood of those with a bipolar disorder” (Chapter 2, 2009). The advances in treatment are due to the discovery of lithium as a medication. This drug works extremely well to eliminate manic episodes and even help with the depression. The drugs