What is going on in the brain that causes bipolar disorder?!
Question: What is going on in the brain that causes bipolar disorder.?
I know it's genetic and all, but can anyone tell me what is going on with the brain specifically.?Health Question & Answer
Answers:
Yes, it is true that bipolar can be geneticaly related but, it can also be caused as a result of a traumatic event or a brain injury. And geneticaly speaking: their is a 5% chance of having bipolar illness if either the father or the mother suffers from bipolar illness...10% if it is a brother or a sister that suffers from it...14% if either the father or the mother/ and an uncle or an aunt has it...and 30% if both parents suffer from bipolar illness (witch is very rare).
To answer your question, anatomically speaking (what happens in the brain):
All information that "circulates" through the brain is by neurotransmitters. The "action" basically is an electrical signal (nerve impulse) that is transmitted from the synaptic bulb to the post-synaptic neuron. In simpler terms, their is a "gap" between both sides (the bulb and the neuron) and an electrical impulse "jumps" from one side to the other in order to make the connection and therefor, permits the information to circulate.
The specific region in the brain that regulates emotions and behavioral patterns is the hypothalamus. This region (by releasing different hormones) regulates feelings of rage, aggression, pain and pleasure, and the behavioral patterns related to sexual arousal. The hypothalamus is not only responsible of regulating emotions and behavior. It also acts on the regulation of eating and drinking, controls the body temperature and establishes patterns of sleep and many many more body activities.
Now when someone suffers from the bipolar illness, their are two possibilities:
The first theory is that the "electrical signal" (nerve impulse) will slow down (witch causes the depression phase). And at other times, it will speed up (witch causes the manic phases).
The second theory is that the receptors (the post-synaptic neuron) of the "electrical signal" will become "over-sensitive" (causing mania) or, will simply have a slow reception (causing depression).
That is why when a manic phase is happening, the person feels like their thoughts are racing, they have hyper-activity, are overly happy, suffer from insomnia, etc. And when the depression phase is happening, the person will be filled with feelings of sadness, loss of energy levels, feels like sleeping all the time, have a hard time concentrating and taking decisions, etc. People living with the bipolar illness often refere to living a "roller coaster" of emotions (ups and downs). And in either one of these possibilities, these "mood swings" are not dictated by events and cannot be controled by the person suffering from the illness.
Now these two possibilities are theories because science is unable to specificaly determine witch or what is going on. No blood test, no x-rays, no scans can give the precise answer. Doctors would need to dissect and examine a "live" brain (witch can't be done for obvious reasons...the person would die!!) But doctors have identified these two possibilities of brain "malfunction" causing the bipolar illness. In either cases, the result is that their is an "imbalance" created that causes an emotional/behavioral/mood swing. (witch is why medication is needed to balance/stabelize the emotions/moods.)
Recently, doctors have discovered a way to see if the brain is "malfunctionning" through what is called a SPECT scan. I will add a web site that I have found online that will inform you better on what exactly is a SPECT scan. Some specialist still don't recognise its efficiency because, the scan can determine if their is a "malfuntion" in the brain, but it is still unable to pin-point what effect/illness it causes.
For instance, I had my SPECT scan in 2006 and it showed that I had a "malfunction" and that this "malfunction" is found in people suffering from either: unipolar depression, certain bipolar illness (in the depressive phase), or chronic fatique syndrome. Although for me, it helped alot cause my doctors where able to confirm (with my symptoms) that I was suffering from bipolar type 2 ( I rarely have "hypo-manias" phases and more depressive phases. And my moods are not "extreme" like people suffering from bipolar type 1).
** PS: hypo-mania is a less severe case of mania where the person feel a bit happier (but not exstatic), has a bit more energy and is more productive. It is sometimes not noticed by doctors therefor often causes misdiagnosis...
So, I hope I helped and that my response (even though it is long!!LOL)answered your question properly...And remember the basic thing: people suffering from mental illnesses aren't stupid unlike many people think ;)
Good luck and keep strong :DHealth Question & Answer
To answer your question, anatomically speaking (what happens in the brain):
All information that "circulates" through the brain is by neurotransmitters. The "action" basically is an electrical signal (nerve impulse) that is transmitted from the synaptic bulb to the post-synaptic neuron. In simpler terms, their is a "gap" between both sides (the bulb and the neuron) and an electrical impulse "jumps" from one side to the other in order to make the connection and therefor, permits the information to circulate.
The specific region in the brain that regulates emotions and behavioral patterns is the hypothalamus. This region (by releasing different hormones) regulates feelings of rage, aggression, pain and pleasure, and the behavioral patterns related to sexual arousal. The hypothalamus is not only responsible of regulating emotions and behavior. It also acts on the regulation of eating and drinking, controls the body temperature and establishes patterns of sleep and many many more body activities.
Now when someone suffers from the bipolar illness, their are two possibilities:
The first theory is that the "electrical signal" (nerve impulse) will slow down (witch causes the depression phase). And at other times, it will speed up (witch causes the manic phases).
The second theory is that the receptors (the post-synaptic neuron) of the "electrical signal" will become "over-sensitive" (causing mania) or, will simply have a slow reception (causing depression).
That is why when a manic phase is happening, the person feels like their thoughts are racing, they have hyper-activity, are overly happy, suffer from insomnia, etc. And when the depression phase is happening, the person will be filled with feelings of sadness, loss of energy levels, feels like sleeping all the time, have a hard time concentrating and taking decisions, etc. People living with the bipolar illness often refere to living a "roller coaster" of emotions (ups and downs). And in either one of these possibilities, these "mood swings" are not dictated by events and cannot be controled by the person suffering from the illness.
Now these two possibilities are theories because science is unable to specificaly determine witch or what is going on. No blood test, no x-rays, no scans can give the precise answer. Doctors would need to dissect and examine a "live" brain (witch can't be done for obvious reasons...the person would die!!) But doctors have identified these two possibilities of brain "malfunction" causing the bipolar illness. In either cases, the result is that their is an "imbalance" created that causes an emotional/behavioral/mood swing. (witch is why medication is needed to balance/stabelize the emotions/moods.)
Recently, doctors have discovered a way to see if the brain is "malfunctionning" through what is called a SPECT scan. I will add a web site that I have found online that will inform you better on what exactly is a SPECT scan. Some specialist still don't recognise its efficiency because, the scan can determine if their is a "malfuntion" in the brain, but it is still unable to pin-point what effect/illness it causes.
For instance, I had my SPECT scan in 2006 and it showed that I had a "malfunction" and that this "malfunction" is found in people suffering from either: unipolar depression, certain bipolar illness (in the depressive phase), or chronic fatique syndrome. Although for me, it helped alot cause my doctors where able to confirm (with my symptoms) that I was suffering from bipolar type 2 ( I rarely have "hypo-manias" phases and more depressive phases. And my moods are not "extreme" like people suffering from bipolar type 1).
** PS: hypo-mania is a less severe case of mania where the person feel a bit happier (but not exstatic), has a bit more energy and is more productive. It is sometimes not noticed by doctors therefor often causes misdiagnosis...
So, I hope I helped and that my response (even though it is long!!LOL)answered your question properly...And remember the basic thing: people suffering from mental illnesses aren't stupid unlike many people think ;)
Good luck and keep strong :DHealth Question & Answer
I think it's a chemical imbalance in the brain and of course it
can also be genetic.Given the right medication the person can
live with it.Health Question & Answer
can also be genetic.Given the right medication the person can
live with it.Health Question & Answer
Blue bip gave a great answer.
I also hate being bipolar.
DebbieHealth Question & Answer
I also hate being bipolar.
DebbieHealth Question & Answer