Advances In Understanding Bipolar Disorder

Main Category: Bipolar
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry;  Genetics
Article Date: 10 Jun 2007 - 19:00 PDT

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The International Conference on Bipolar Disorder, held every two years, is the only venue in the world devoted exclusively to highlighting new research into understanding bipolar disorder, which affects both adults and children, devastates families, accounts for nearly half of all suicides in the United States, and costs billions of dollars in medical bills, missed work and lower productivity each year.

The Seventh Conference was held June 7-9 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh, and was sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).

Sessions:

Understanding Bipolar Disorder: New Tools - As in most other medical conditions, genetics and imaging play a vital role in understanding this disease and in providing promising solutions to diagnosis and treatment. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the National Institute of Mental Health discussed their latest findings in identifying changes in the brain chemistry linked to bipolar disorder and using neuroimaging to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder.

Comorbidities of Bipolar Disorder: Causes and Impact - More often than not, a person with bipolar disorder will be afflicted with an additional disease. These comorbid conditions, which can be psychiatric or physical, can severely impact overall health and intensify the severity of each condition. Researchers from The University of Groningen, The Netherlands, and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, discussed the impact of comorbid disorders on the person with bipolar disorder and a possible genetic link between bipolar disorder and conditions such as auto-immune diseases.

Thomas R. Insel, M.D., director of the National Institute of Mental Health, discussed the Institute's vision of research, which includes revolutionary technologies and evolutionary practices that can transform treatments and services for people with bipolar disorder.

The latest information about bipolar disorder in children and the role of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in the course, diagnosis and treatment of the disorder was presented.

A symposium and numerous poster presentations addressed how bipolar disorder is treated in countries across the world, including Nigeria, India, Brazil, Australia and the United Kingdom.

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Contact: Jocelyn Uhl Duffy
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

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