The recognition and treatment of bipolar disorder presents a major challenge. The goal of this self-study activity is to help our colleagues meet these challenges by addressing, in an interactive way, the most important questions facing the clinician.
Patients with an affective illness primarily visit physicians because of depressive symptoms. How do we determine which of these patients may be bipolar or at risk of becoming bipolar?
What can be done to deal effectively with the frequent coexistence of other disorders especially substance abuse and anxiety?
Neurobiological focus on this disease, and on the mechanism of action of mood stabilizers, has shifted from neurotransmitter-receptor interactions to post synaptic signal transduction and gene expression. Can this rapidly developing field inform treatment decisions?
Pharmacological options for the treatment of bipolar disorder are expanding rapidly. Where do the new drugs fit in relation to well established agents, particularly lithium?
The most common problem in the management of this disorder is the treatment and prevention of bipolar depression. What is the proper role of anti depressants - and are they being replaced by new mood stabilizers? What is the rationale for monotherapy versus combined therapy?
Has the rapidly accelerating neurobiology of mood regulation begun to "pay off" and where do these new experimental treatments fit?
How common is bipolar disorder in children and how can it be differentiated from ADHD and other disorders? What special challenges do we face in the treatment of bipolar disorder in adolescents?
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