Symptoms And Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder - 2370 Words

Abstract Bipolar Disorder is a mood disorder that affects approximately 2.6% of adults over the age of 18 years old in the United States. The disorder is characterized by mood shifts from low depressed states to high manic states. Little is known of what the causes of bipolar disorder are, but as technology advances more research is being done to pinpoint the areas of the brain that cause bipolar disorder and the shifts in mood. One intriguing area of study for a possible cause surrounds NMDA receptors and their role in synaptic plasticity. This paper will explore the possible alternative treatment that has arisen from the research into NMDA receptors and the use of the drug Ketamine, an NMDA antagonist. In studies, Ketamine treatments†¦show more content†¦Not knowing the exact causes of the disorder then makes finding the right treatment much more difficult. Without knowing what to target, doctors are left trying a wide range of medications, therapies and other treatments i n attempting to stabilize their patient’s often debilitating symptoms. In 2012, I was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder and since then have tried a variety of different medications and treatments to find a way to stabilize my moods. Recently, with the help of Lithium I have felt better and definitely more stable but far from cured and I am still always weary of having an episode. One of the hardest parts of living with bipolar disorder does not even have to do with its effects; it has to do with not knowing what causes myself and many other people around the world to feel this way and every new piece research that comes out brings us one step closer to figuring it out. New research is bringing the Glutamate Cycle and specifically the role of NMDA receptors, into conversations about their potential role in causing bipolar disorder and perhaps other disorders. NMDA receptors play a role in synaptic plasticity and this is adding to the hypothesis that increasingly more researchers have that synaptic plasticity plays an important role in causing mental disorders. Ketamine, an NMDA antagonist, has shown to produce rapid onset and prolonged relief of symptoms for patients with bipolar disorder administered the drug. These results