Cerebral Palsy & Bipolar Spectrum Disorder

Cerebral palsy (CP), a neurological disorder that affects body movement and muscle coordination, is a nonprogressive disorder. But while CP does not get worse over time, it can lead to secondary health conditions. One of these is bipolar spectrum disorder.

Cerebral Palsy

• Cerebral palsy is caused by brain damage, which usually results from damage to the fetus during pregnancy or from birth complications. The brain damage makes the CP population more vulnerable to psychiatric disorders such as bipolar spectrum disorder.

Bipolar Spectrum Disorder

• According to Dr. Arnold L. Lieber, bipolar spectrum disorder is a version of bipolar disorder in which patients generally respond poorly to antidepressant medication treatment. Bipolar disorder causes emotional instability.

Symptoms

• Extreme mood swings are the most common symptom of bipolar disorder. Mood swings can be either joyful (known as maniac mood swings) or sad (known as depressive mood swings).

Prognosis

• There is no cure for bipolar spectrum disorder. However, lifelong treatment can help people with the condition manage their emotions.

Treatment

• Bipolar spectrum disorder is usually treated with a combination of SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) antidepressants, psychotherapy and mood stabilizers. SSRIs are highly effective antidepressants and more likely than other antidepressants to successfully treat cases of bipolar spectrum disorder.