When you read about elevated levels of plasma brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in rapid cycling bipolar disorder patients, it could be quite a mouthful. One may wonder, what does this even mean? Well, in simple English, high concentrations of BDNF is something that has been seen in people who suffer from rapid cycling bipolar disorder when compared to healthy individuals. Rapid cycling is a random pattern of recurrent episodes which occurs in bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression. Someone with this may suffer through four or more occurrences of mania, hypomania, euthymia or depression in a single year. This can happen any time during the disorder and can also keep happening longer than just a few days, weeks, or months, …show more content…
It is diagnosed after multiple occurrences of hypomania, mania, euthymia, or depression are experienced, and when it happens more than four times in a year.
Because of the frequent mood swings, affected anatomical pathways in rapid cycling are those in neural pathways that are thought to regulate human mood. In this study, a simple brain scan revealed the differences in structural volume when looking at a person with the disorder compared to a healthy individual. A patient with the bipolar disorder had an enlarged amygdala, which is responsible for emotions, memory and survival instincts. According to the researchers, there is a role of amygdala dysfunction in bipolar disorder. The way researchers have studied this problem so far is by comparing scanned MRIs of rapid cycling bipolar disorder patients with healthy people that are equivalent in age, gender, race, and education. Researchers have also been studying the peripheral and central nervous systems in rodents and pigs to observe the flow of BDNF and neurotrophin 3 (NT-3) through these systems, uncovering that both these neurotrophic factors have the ability to cross the blood brain barrier.
The issue with rapid cycling bipolar disorder is that it can always be misdiagnosed as the standard bipolar disorder. Although both of these maladies are quite similar, the standard bipolar disorder is one in
To be diagnosed with bipolar disorder under the DSM requirements, a person must have a manic episode that lasts at least seven days or has severe symptoms that can possibly send them to a hospital or have sent them to a hospital, and the person usually experiences about two weeks of a depressive episode (NIMH, 2015). People with bipolar disorder can be misdiagnosed. The depressive episodes are very similar to major depression. In some forms of bipolar disorder, psychotic factors are present like hallucinations or delusions which may lead to a misdiagnosis of schizophrenia (Schacter et al., 2015).
“Bipolar disorder, also commonly known as manic depression, is defined as a serious mental illness in which common emotions become intensely and often unpredictably magnified. Individuals with bipolar disorder can quickly alternate from extremes of happiness, energy and clarity to sadness, fatigue and confusion. All people with bipolar disorder have manic episodes abnormally elevated or irritable moods that last at least a week and impair functioning. But not all become depressed ” (American Psychological Association, 2015). Bipolar disorder can vary in each individual. The symptoms fluctuate in pattern, severity and rate of recurrence. Some people are more susceptible to either mania or depression, while others change proportionately between the two types of episodes. Some have frequent mood disruptions, while others live through a few throughout their lifetime.
People with bipolar I disorder have full manic and major depressive episodes. Most of them experience an alternation of the episodes; for example, weeks of mania may be followed by a period of wellness, followed, in turn, by an episode of depression. Some, however, have mixed episodes, in which they display both manic and depressive symptoms within the same episode—for example, having racing thoughts amidst feelings of extreme sadness. In bipolar II disorder, hypomanic—that is, mildy manic—episodes alternate with major depressive episodes over the course of time. When a person experiences numerous periods of hypomanic symptoms and mild depressive symptoms, but not full-blown episodes, DSM-5 assigns a diagnosis of cyclothymic disorder. The symptoms of this milder form of bipolar disorder continue for two or more years, interrupted occasionally by normal moods that may last for only days or weeks.
The two major types of Bipolar Disorder (BPD) set out in this paper are Bipolar 1 and 2. Bipolar 1 is diagnosed as guide lined by the DSM5. As the occurrence of a least one maniac episode preceding or post an episode of hypomania and/or Major depression. The DSM 5 highlights that Bipolar 2 is diagnosed by one major depressive episode in occurrence with one hypomanic episode with an absence of Mania. (Association:, 2013) Mania as defined by DSM5: “A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood and abnormally and persistently increased goal-directed activity or energy, lasting at least 1 week and present most of the day, nearly every day.” Hypomania being: “A distinct period of abnormally and
Bipolar disorder is a disorder characterized by periods of mania alternating with periods of depression, usually interspersed with relatively long intervals of normal mood (bipolar 2010). Bipolar can be a very debilitating psychological disorder, characterized by erratic and extreme changes in ones personality. An individual with bipolar may experience weeks or months of depression with alternating periods of mania, at which point the person may become hyperactive, irritable, restless and experience a rush thoughts and ideas. These “racing thoughts” are a common complaint of people with bipolar because it interferes with their ability to concentrate, speak, listen, complete
In this article “Bipolar Disorder: The Agony and the Ecstasy” the author Thomas Wheaton explains his life dealing with a bipolar disorder. There are three different types of bipolar disorders, bipolar 1 is an episode of mania or a mixed episode you have in your lifetime. Bipolar 2 is mood states between deadly depression and an extreme form of mania. Then there is Cyclothymic disorder which is close to bipolar 2 with mood swings but not as severe and not as often. Thomas however has a disorder that is not diagnosed as any of the above bipolar disorders, his disorder is unusually changing. His diagnosis is ultra-ultra-rapid cycling, where he experience’s mood swings between depression and mania
In their article for Bipolar Disorder Treatment, authors J. Segal, R. Segal, and Smith explained that there is not just one type of bipolar disorder; in fact there are several different types of bipolar disorders. One type of bipolar disorder, which is the most commonly known, the Bipolar I Disorder (mania and depression). This type of bipolar disorder is characterized by at least one manic episode or mixed episode. The vast majority of those who suffer from bipolar I disorder have also experienced at least one episode of major depression, however, it is said that it is not required for the diagnosis. The second type of bipolar disorder is Bipolar II Disorder (hypomania and depression). This type of disorder does not actually involve mania like the first type did. Instead of mania, there are recurring episodes of major depression and hypomania, which is a milder form of mania. To be diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, you must have experienced at least one hypomanic episode and one major depressive episode in your lifetime. The last type of bipolar disorder is Cyclothymia (hypomania and mild depression). This is a milder form of bipolar. Consistent with bipolar disorder, it shows the mood swings. However in contrast, the highs and lows are not severe enough to be considered or qualify as mania or major depression. In order to be diagnosed with cyclothymia, you must experience periods of hypomania and mild depression over at least a two-year time span. This is due
Bipolar disorder is a very intense disorder and many people struggle with dealing with it on a day to day basis. According to the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia (2013), bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that can affect your behavior, emotions, and wellness. Bipolar disorder symptoms are more severe than a personal just experiencing a bad day. They consistently interfere with a person’s everyday life. They can vary in intensity, from damaging previously healthy relationships, to thinking about committing suicide. Not all cases of bipolar disorder are the same in that some cases are more severe than
There are many concerns when it comes to the mental health of individuals throughout the world. Mental health problems can manifest in a variety of different ways and range in severity from attention deficits to hallucinations. One of the most severe forms of disorders that can affect an individual is bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that presents a wide variety of different symptoms that affect the ability of an individual to live a complete and satisfied life. By examining the overall prevalence of the ailment, its symptoms, and the forms of treatments available, a more complete understanding of bipolar disease can emerge.
Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder it can cause shifts in moods, activity level, energy, and also the ability to due day-to-day tasks. It is also commonly known as manic- depressive illness.
Of the various types of mental disorders that are diagnosed every day, bipolar disorder is among the most commonly diagnosed of all mental disorders (Williams, 2013). According to the National Institutes of Health (2016), bipolar disorder, or manic-depression illness, is a brain disorder that has been proven to cause unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Previous researchers have suggested that environmental stressors can influence how this illness affects individuals. According to the National Institutes for Health (2013), this disorder has affected “approximately 5.7 million adult Americans or about 2.6% of the U.S. population age 18 and older every year (National Institutes of Health, 2013).” The NIH also stated that the median age of onset for this disorder is recorded at 25 years. However, this disorder can affect individuals at any time of their life; this includes early childhood as well as late adulthood.