A new study indicates people with bipolar disorder have a distinct chemical signature in their brain. United States and United Kingdom researchers studied the brain tissue of deceased people who suffered from bipolar disorder when they were alive. The tissue was then compared to those who never suffered from the disease.
The tissue samples, which were taken from the part of the brain involved with higher cognitive functions, showed the people who suffered from bipolar disorder had different concentrations of chemicals in their brain.
As part of the study, the researchers also tested rats in an attempt to study the effectiveness of mood-stabilizing drugs such as lithium and valproic acid. While the drugs are known to help people with bipolar disorder, it still isn't understood exactly how they work. But the researchers found that the drugs caused opposite chemical changes in the rats without bipolar brain tissue. This leads them to believe that an imbalance in specific neurotransmitters, which help send messages to the brain, may play a significant role in the condition. Lithium and valproic acid help treat the disease by restoring the necessary balance in the neurotransmitters.
Bipolar disorder is a chronic condition, triggering severe mood swings in patients. They can experience the highest highs, full of manic energy, followed by periods of dreadful depression. This recent study will hopefully help doctors understand the origins and causes of the disease, eventually leading to a more effective treatment or even a possible cure.
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