The Neurobiology of Bipolar Disorder and Medication Used to Treat It

Abstract

Mental health has been a growing area of interest in recent years, correlating with increased awareness about conditions such as generalized anxiety, clinical depression, and bipolar disorder. This is thanks to the improvement in the quality of treatment for psychiatric conditions, social media contributing to a widespread awareness, and recent governmental campaigns. However, because the topic of mental health is relatively new, much is unknown about the etiology and science behind these conditions, in part due to many of these conditions mostly being the result of environmental pressures, and rarely have a genetic basis. As a result of this, recent research, including this paper, primarily aims to examine a number of receptors, polypeptides, and erroneous steps that stem from intracellular communication dysfunction. This paper primarily focuses on the signaling cascades that are most frequent in bipolar disorder, as well as the medication that controls them and potential adverse side effects. Through examination of primary sources and various experiments conducted in tandem with their respective drugs, this paper primarily aims to highlight the shifting landscape in bipolar disorder treatment, while also de-mystifying the etiology behind it. It also aims to highlight previously unknown roles of various genes and receptors important to the etiology of bipolar disorder.