BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic, frequently comorbid condition characterized by high rates of mood episode recurrence and suicidality. Little is known about prospective longitudinal characterization of BD type II (BD II) versus type I (BD I) in relation to time to depressive recurrence and recovery from major depressive episode. We therefore assessed times to depressive recurrence...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether there are consistent neurobiological differences between patients with bipolar I disorder (BD I) and those with bipolar II disorder (BD II). METHOD We reviewed the literature in areas where the most consistent neurobiological findings have been reported for bipolar disorder, specifically, neuroimaging and brain metabolism. The imaging studies reviewed examined s...

BACKGROUND Many people with mental illness experience stigma that has impacted their lives. In this study, we validated the Inventory of Stigmatizing Experiences (ISE) as a tool to help quantify the stigma experienced by patients with bipolar disorder and its impact on their lives. The ISE has two components, ie, the Stigma Experiences Scale (SES) and the Stigma Impact Scale (SIS), which were a...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine whether adjunctive use of a psychostimulant (mixed amphetamine salts) was safe and efficacious for treatment of symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in pediatric outpatients with bipolar I or bipolar II disorder and concurrent ADHD whose manic symptoms had been stabilized through treatment with divalproex sodium. METH...

BACKGROUND Psychiatric comorbidity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has not been well examined. METHODS Mood disorders in 44 consecutive outpatients with high-functioning ASD were examined at a university hospital according to DSM-IV. Inclusion criteria were an IQ of 70 or higher on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale and age of 12 years or over. RESULTS Sixteen patients (36.4%) were diagnosed...

BACKGROUND Much of the literature on panic disorder (PD)-bipolar disorder (BP) comorbidity concerns BP-I. This literature emphasizes the difficulties encountered in pharmacologic treatment and outcome when such comorbidity is present. The present report explores these issues with respect to BP-II. METHODS The sample comprised 326 outpatients (aged 34.5 +/- 11.5 years old; 222 females) with Di...

OBJECTIVES Psychological studies have identified that different coping strategies affect outcome in bipolar disorder (BD), with the possibility of preventing mania by effective coping with prodromes. This study seeks to examine coping mechanisms using a recently developed scale to clarify the relationship of coping styles to clinical and demographic characteristics, and to identify coping diffe...

The management of stress in a group of patients with Bipolar II Disorder is described. The use of psychotherapy and psycho-education has been shown to reduce the number of relapses and improve the quality of life of these patients.

OBJECTIVE Recent research has emphasized important gender differences in the epidemiology, course, comorbidity and treatment of bipolar disorder. This article aims to provide an overview of these important findings in order to assist the clinician in treating women with bipolar disorder. Complex issues regarding the treatment of bipolar disorder during pregnancy and the post-partum period are d...

BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder types I (BD I) and II (BD II) might present different dysfunctions of the cortex and brainstem, as reflected by the second exteroceptive suppression period of temporalis muscle activity (ES2) under different stimuli of external emotions. METHODS This study included 30 BD I and 20 BD II patients, and 40 healthy volunteers. All participants were invited to answer the...