Copyright 2008 Medical News Today Latest Bipolar News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/bipolar/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/120408.php In combination with medication, family-focused therapy appears to help curb depression symptoms in teens with bipolar disorder, according to a report released on September 1, 2008 in the Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.  Bipolar disorders are characterized by occasional periods of elevated mood, known as mania. Bipolar Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/120197.php People concerned about the toll that mental health disorders are taking on their families and communities will have a unique opportunity to hear from world-class experts on what is known to-date about the causes, symptoms and progression of such illnesses as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, schizophrenia and autism, and learn about current and potential treatments. Mental Health Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/120184.php Adolescent girls in young offender institutions are particularly vulnerable to depression, a large-scale study led by Oxford University has shown. The researchers have found incidences of mental health problems in both boys and girls are many times greater in juvenile detention centres than in the general population. The high prevalence of mental disorders highlights the need for improved psychiatric care in juvenile justice and detention centres, say the researchers. Psychology / Psychiatry Wed, 03 Sep 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/120093.php Results presented at the 21st European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) congress in Barcelona, Spain have demonstrated the efficacy of SEROQUEL® (quetiapine fumarate) monotherapy for maintenance treatment in patients with bipolar disorder. Bipolar Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/120020.php Lingering depression is a serious and common problem in bipolar disorder, and does not resolve well with existing treatments. Depression Tue, 02 Sep 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/119958.php Results from a new global survey on bipolar disorder, released today at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress, indicate that both patients and healthcare professionals face significant challenges in managing bipolar disorder. At least 90% of patients surveyed reported that the illness is difficult to understand and to live with due to the episodic symptoms. Bipolar Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/119667.php The children of older aged fathers may have an increased risk of bipolar disorder (BPD), according to a report released on September 1, 2008 in the Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. A common and intense mood disorder, people who are bipolar often experience episodes of mania and depression. There are few previously identified risk factors for bipolar disorder, one of which is a family history of psychotic disorders. Bipolar Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/118525.php The largest genetic analysis of its kind to date for bipolar disorder has implicated machinery involved in the balance of sodium and calcium in brain cells. Researchers supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, found an association between the disorder and variation in two genes that make components of channels that manage the flow of the elements into and out of cells, including neurons. Bipolar Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117914.php Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that an astonishing 52.3 percent of newly diagnosed bipolar disorder patients are prescribed antidepressant drugs first line. The new report entitled Treatment Algorithms in Bipolar Disorder finds that this high preponderance of early-line antidepressant use stems from primary care physician prescribing. Bipolar Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/116808.php The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic versions of Depakote delayed-release tablets (divalproex sodium). Depakote is approved by the FDA for the treatment of seizures, bipolar disorder and migraine headaches. "Generic drugs undergo a rigorous scientific review to ensure that they will provide the patient with the same amount of high quality, safe and effective drug as the name brand product," said Gary J. Bipolar Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/116319.php Bipolar Advantage Inc. will be introducing a new integrated recovery program called the "Advantage Program" on September 6, 2008. "The days of thinking a diagnosis of bipolar disorder means living a diminished life are over," says company president Tom Wootton. Bipolar Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/116209.php Alkermes, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALKS) today announced that its partner, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD), submitted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for RISPERDAL® CONSTA® [(risperidone) Long-Acting Injection] to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval as monotherapy in the maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder to delay the time to occurrence of mood episodes in adults. Bipolar Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/116080.php Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALXA) announced that it has initiated its second Phase 3 clinical trial with AZ-004 (Staccato(R) loxapine). AZ-004 is an inhalation product candidate being developed for the treatment of acute agitation in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115507.php Psychiatry has begun the laborious effort of preparing the DSM-V, the new iteration of its diagnostic manual. In so doing, it once again wrestles with the task set by Carl Linnaeus, to "cleave nature at its joints." However, these "joints," the boundaries between psychiatric disorders, such as that between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, are far from clear. Prior versions of DSM followed the path outlined by Emil Kraeplin in separating these disorders into distinct categories. Psychology / Psychiatry Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115509.php Both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can be disabling conditions, and both present clinically with significant mood and psychotic symptoms. These two illnesses also share genetic variants that might be involved in the predisposition to both disorders. Psychology / Psychiatry Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115136.php Two leading mental health charities, Rethink and MDF The BiPolar Organisation today announced the start of a new partnership with and project sponsored by AstraZeneca. It comprises of experiential research to identify what hinders and helps achieve recovery and aims to help to put recovery at the heart of mental health reform. It will report late 2008. Mental Health Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114378.php Bipolar disorder is one of the most complex and challenging mental disorder in the spectrum. Bipolar disorder is typically associated with considerable acute and longterm treatment needs and may be associated in the course of illness with times of tremendous social burden for both the individual and family. It is typically referred to as an episodic, yet lifelong and clinically severe mood disorder. Bipolar Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114107.php What do you do when you want to let the bipolar community know about scholarships for people with bipolar disorder, but soon discover that support for bipolar students is still far too rare? Why donate a scholarship yourself of course. The Bipolar Lives Scholarship is a new scholarship, created when journalist Sarah Freeman added a webpage on bipolar scholarships to the Bipolar Lives website, but found only a handful of suitable awards existed. Bipolar Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113905.php Seeing a psychologist or other mental health professional isn't an unusual thing; in fact it's relatively common. Nearly three in ten U.S. adults (29%) report that they have received treatment or therapy from a psychologist or other mental health professional. The survey also found that younger adults are more open to seeking mental health treatment than those over 50 and that many adults are not discouraged from seeking treatment because of stigma or fear of others finding out. Psychology / Psychiatry Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113868.php AstraZeneca announced the online publication of long-term SEROQUEL® (quetiapine fumarate) clinical trial data in the Journal of Affective Disorders. Results show that SEROQUEL in combination with lithium or divalproex significantly increased the time to recurrence of any mood event in patients with bipolar I disorder compared with lithium or divalproex alone. Bipolar Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113701.php The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic versions of Risperdal (risperidone) tablets. Risperdal is an antipsychotic drug used for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric conditions. Psychology / Psychiatry Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/111147.php A research abstract presented at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS), finds a link between poor sleep and suicidal behavior among children and adolescents with depressive episodes. The study, authored by Maria-Cecilia Lopes, MD, PhD, of Sao Paulo University in Brazil, focused on 303 individuals with pediatric bipolar disorder and pediatric unipolar disorder during depressive episodes. Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/111085.php Repligen Corporation (Nasdaq: RGEN) announced that based on feedback from the Food and Drug Administration, the Company plans to initiate a Phase 2b clinical trial of RG2417, an oral formulation of uridine, in patients with bipolar disorder later this year. This will be a multi-center, parallel arm placebo-controlled, clinical trial in which approximately 150 patients with bipolar disorder will receive either RG2417 or a placebo twice a day for eight-weeks. Bipolar Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/110942.php Psychiatrists have cautioned against the use of antidepressants alone in people with bipolar disorders, saying they could worsen a patient's condition by causing a destabilisation in mood. Bipolar Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/109726.php A study from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) supports previous reports that adolescents with bipolar disorder are at increased risk for smoking and substance abuse. The article appearing in the June Drug and Alcohol Dependence - describing the largest such investigation to date and the first to include a control group - also indicates that bipolar-associated risk is independent of the risk conferred by other disorders affecting study participants. Bipolar