Bipolar Disorder Essay -- Psychology Depression Essays

Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder is a type of manic depression classified by those affected having extreme polar opposite emotions. Those who suffer from bipolar disorder, go from extreme highs (mania) to very lows, (depression). Because this illness deals with such drastic changes in behavior, it is essential that those who suffer take medical action in treatment of their disorder, unlike other depressions that may be treated with therapy only. Medical treatment with the use of drugs is so important when treating those who suffer from bipolar disorder, because its causes can be predicted to begin at the neuron level. One of these treatments, as discussed throughout this paper, is Lithium in its common for, Lithium Carbonate. Lithium is thought to affect the way the way the synaptic transmitters carry information across the neurons in the body. Although it is unknown how exactly this process works, researches believe that the synapse is the location of the neuron that is affected by lithium use. The synapse of a cell can be defined as a point of communication at the gap between two neurons or between a neuron and a muscle, (Kalant, 2004). Because the synapse deals with communication, the synapse is an extremely busy and complicated part of the neuron. Due to the belief that Lithium is impacts a cell primarily at the synapse, it also affects the cell at the axon of the pre- synaptic cell, and the dendrites of the post-synaptic cell. An axon is the part of the cell that conducts information away from the cell body, and eventually across the synapse, where the branch like fibers of the post-synaptic dendrites receives the information. Exact Process Unknown: Lith... ... Khoury, Aram El, et al. (2001) Effects of Long Term Lithium Treatment on Monoaminergic functions in major depression. Psychiatry Research, 105, 33-44. Lithium-Drug Class, Medical Uses, Medication Side Effects, and Drug Interactions. (1998). Retrieved March 6, 2005 from http://www.medicinenet.com Long, Phillip W. (2005) Pharmacology in Lithium Carbonate. Retrived March 6, 2005 from http://mentalhealth .com/drug/p30- 102.html Schimelpfening, Nancy. The Chemistry of depression. Retrieved February 28, 2005 from http://depression.about.com/cs/brainch101/a/brainchemistry_p.htm Serretti, A. Et al. (2000). Serotonin Receptor 2A, 2C, 1A genes and response to lithium prophylaxis in mood disorders. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 35, 89-98. Shastry, Barkur s. (2005) Bipolar Disorder: an update. Neurochemistry International, 46, 273-279.