Bipolar Disorder

Essay # 58153

Biology > Genetics
Psychology > Behaviorism
Psychology > Disorders

Bipolar Disorder

A look at the phenomenon of decreased white and gray matter in the brain due to bipolar disorder.

1,238 words () | 7 sources | APA | 2005 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper seeks to raise awareness about bipolar disorder and the need to improve its recognition; more studies are needed to provide the possibility of a genetic marker from the density of white and gray matter in the brain. It compares and contrasts two journal articles on bipolar disorder and gray and white matter in the brain.

From the Paper:

"Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that involves both manic and depressive phases that affects one's mood, emotions, and behavior. The mood disorders can be depressive episodes, manic episodes, or mixed episodes. Some symptoms of the depressive state would be a down mood, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, weight loss or gain, sleep problems, fatigue or loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt, problems thinking or concentrating, thoughts of death, suicidal attempt, etc. Some symptoms of the manic state of bipolar would be elevated or irritable mood, inflated self-esteem, sleeplessness, more talkative than usual, flight of ideas or racing thoughts, distractibility, increase in goal-directed activity or hyperactivity, excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences, etc. One or more of these episodes may be followed immediately by its opposite. A mixed episode would be the simultaneous occurrence of both of the above stated episodes."