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Understanding the Neurobiology of Bipolar Depression

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Bipolar Depression: Molecular Neurobiology, Clinical Diagnosis, and Pharmacotherapy

Part of the book series: Milestones in Drug Therapy ((MDT))

Abstract

Despite the extensive research in the field, the precise etiology of bipolar disorder (BD) is not clear; neither, then, is our understanding of the pathogenesis of bipolar depression. What we do know is largely gleaned from investigations of patients with BD irrespective of their mood state. The most consistent neuropathological findings include structural, cellular, and functional changes in cortical and limbic regions, and most explanations for the illness involve pathways that ultimately result in cerebral atrophy and cell loss. Though many theories have been proposed, here, the focus is on the current leading hypotheses of mitochondrial involvement, oxidative stress, the role of inflammation, and neurotrophic factors. Future research is required with a specific focus on the depressive phase of BD in addition to the study of biomarkers to aid clinicians in the diagnosis and targeted treatment of bipolar depression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Araba F. Chintoh MD, PhD

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Room 2109, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5S 1A8

    L. Trevor Young MD, PhD

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  1. Araba F. Chintoh MD, PhD
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  2. L. Trevor Young MD, PhD
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Correspondence to L. Trevor Young MD, PhD .

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  1. Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Carlos A. Zarate Jr.

  2. Janssen Pharmaceuticals of Johnson and Johnson, Janssen Research and Development, Titusville, New Jersey, USA

    Husseini K. Manji

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Chintoh, A.F., Young, L.T. (2016). Understanding the Neurobiology of Bipolar Depression. In: Zarate Jr., C., Manji, H. (eds) Bipolar Depression: Molecular Neurobiology, Clinical Diagnosis, and Pharmacotherapy. Milestones in Drug Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31689-5_6

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