Bipolar_disorder | CARLAT PUBLISHING

Current Issues in Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis: The Life Course Method

July 1, 2012

Descartes Li, MD Clinical associate professor of psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco Dr. Li has disclosed that he has no relevant relationship or financial interest in any commercial company pertaining to this educational activity.

How should we diagnose bipolar disorder? It isn’t always easy and current bipolar screening tools are problematic for a number of reasons.

Psychosocial Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

July 1, 2012

David Miklowitz, PhD

David Miklowitz, PhD Professor of Psychiatry, Director, Child and Adolescent Mood Disorders Program, UCLA Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA Dr. Miklowitz has disclosed that he receives book royalties from Guilford Publications and John Wiley and Sons. He has presented one paid CME presentation for GlaxoSmithKline. Dr. Balt has reviewed this article and found no evidence of bias in this educational activity.

Why should we as psychiatrists focus on the psychosocial aspects of bipolar disorder? Dr. Miklowitz explores the benefits of a treatment program that combines targeted psychosocial treatments and medication.

Management of Bipolar Depression

July 1, 2012

Claudia Baldassano, MD

Claudia Baldassano, MD Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Dr. Baldassano has disclosed that she has no relevant relationships or financial interests in any commercial companies related to this educational activity.

Should we expand our definition of bipolar disorder? Dr. Claudia Baldassano discusses bipolar diagnoses in this Expert Q&A.

The Latest on Psychotherapy

January 24, 2012

Glen Spielmans, PhD

...

“Soft” Bipolar Does Not Affect Antidepressant Treatment Outcomes

June 1, 2011

Section editor, Glen Spielmans, PhD

A combination of clinical lore and some studies have led many psychiatrists to believe that it is crucial to screen depressed patients for subtle signs of “bipolarity.”

Using Lithium in Bipolar Disorder: A Primer

January 1, 2011

Currently, lithium is FDA approved for both acute mania and for maintenance bipolar treatment, but not for bipolar depression. Lithium is dirt-cheap and the size of its database for efficacy in bipolar disorder is unmatched by any other medication, although many of these studies are old.

Discussing Bipolar Disorder with Your Patients

January 1, 2011

In my experience, there are five common reactions from patients with a new diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and here are some suggestions for how to respond constructively.

Distinguishing Bipolar from Unipolar Depression

January 1, 2011

Ross Baldessarini, MD

Ross Baldessarini, MD Professor of psychiatry and neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Director, psychopharmacology program & International Consortium for Bipolar Disorder Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA Dr. Baldessarini has disclosed that he has recently been a paid consultant to Alkermes, Inc., a comarketer of Risperdal Consta and VIVITROL (a monthly injectable form of naloxone for alcohol and opioid dependence). Dr. Carlat reviewed this article and found that there is no evidence of commercial bias in this educational activity.

Some patients complain bitterly about depression and dysphoria, but they don’t tell you anything about the other half of their lives—the upswings of mood and energy—so you may not realize the need to suspect bipolar illness.

Adjunctive Nuvigil Possibly Effective for Bipolar Depression

January 1, 2011

The treatment of bipolar depression remains challenging. Only two medications are FDA approved for the condition—quetiapine (Seroquel) and olanzapine (Zyprexa)/fluoxetine (Prozac) combination—both of which cause weight gain and sedation, among other side effects.