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Bipolar Physiology

The exact causes bipolar disorder have not been fully determined, and bipolar physiology is not completely understood. According to research published in 2000 in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, the symptoms and characteristics of bipolar disorder have made it difficult to draw conclusions about physiology of the disease. Bipolar physiology may involve genetics, according to eMedicine.Medscpae.com, those who have a first-degree relative with bipolar disorder are "approximately seven times more likely to develop bipolar disorder." Bipolar physiology may also involve other factors.

  1. Bipolar Disorder

    • Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental disorder that can inhibit a person's routine, daily functioning for prolonged periods of time. Sometimes referred to as manic depression, bipolar disorder features alternating depressive and manic episodes, with periods of normal functioning in between. Depressive episodes are extended periods of sadness. Symptoms may include sleeping and eating too much or too little, social withdrawal, and suicidal thoughts. A manic episode, or mania, may feature euphoria, irritability and impulsive behavior. Some severe cases of bipolar disorder may be associated with periods of psychosis. The different types of bipolar disorder include bipolar I, bipolar II and cyclothymia.

    Definition

    • Physiology is the study of the processes and functions that sustain life. Physiology is a broad field and can include the study of cells, bacteria, tissue and muscles, as well as the study of how these elements work together. Pathophysiology is the study of the dysfunction of the processes of the body, and the way that disease affects the functioning of an organ or life form. According to eMedicine.Medscape.com, the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder is not fully determined, meaning that the nature of the dysfunction that causes bipolar disorder is not understood.

    Neurotransmitters

    • Bipolar I may involve "structural abnormalities" of certain parts of the brain, including the amygdala, basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex, According to MentalHealth.com. The hippocampus and the limbic system are other parts of the brain that may be involved in bipolar disorder. According to EverydayHealth.com, the brains of people with bipolar disorder may produce higher amounts of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters help to regulate moods. The hormone estrogen may contribute in some way to mood disorders in women, according to EverydayHealth.com.

    Sodium And Calcium Channels

    • The physiology of bipolar disorder may also involve a dysfunction in the sodium and calcium channels of neurons. According to a 2008 article from "Psychiatric News, "sodium and calcium channels are part of cell membranes that help "regulate the amount of electrically charged sodium and calcium ions" that pass in and out of nerve cells.

    Considerations

    • Neuroimaging has revealed similarities in the brains of people with bipolar disorder and people with schizophrenia, according to eMedicine.Medscpae.com. Such similarities indicate that the physiology of bipolar disorder and the physiology of schizophrenia may be similar to some extent. Neuroimaging refers to a variety of means by which the structure and functioning of the brain is made into an image.

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