Dopamine in Bipolar Disorder

Research published in the journal "BMC Psychiatry" in 2009 finds "indirect" support for the idea that bipolar disorder involves dopamine dysregulation.

Dopamine

• Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, a chemical messenger in the brain that helps regulate brain and body functions including motor activity, cognition, pleasure and reward.

Bipolar Disorder

• Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental disorder characterized by alternating manic and depressive episodes. A manic episode involves overly excited moods and behavior, while a depressive episode involves sad, withdrawn moods and behavior.

Cause

• According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the cause of bipolar disorder is unclear, although genetics, brain chemistry and environment may contribute to the disorder.

Function

• A study by researchers from the University of Melbourne in Geelong, Australia, and published in the journal "Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica" in 2007 suggests that excessive amounts of dopamine may be involved in creating manic symptoms, while a dopamine deficit may contribute to depressive symptoms.

Considerations

• Research conducted by researchers from the University of Maryland, Pennsylvania State College of Medicine and Yale University and published in the online edition of the "Proceedings of the National Academies of Science" in 2002 suggests that the dysfunction of molecular systems that control dopamine transmission, and not dopamine itself, may be the contributing factor in bipolar symptoms.