A 60-patient randomized trial of lithium loading for acute bipolar I mania reported faster serum lithium attainment than standard titration and a larger 14-day Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) change score, but the same accepted manuscript says absolute YMRS scores at Days 3, 7, and 14 were not significantly different between the 2 arms when …
A 2026 hospital MRI study found that the left paracingulate sulcus was present in 31 of 109 catatonia patients (28%) vs. 171 of 323 psychiatric controls without catatonia (53%), a left-hemisphere group effect that survived adjustment for age, sex, scanner, brain volume, benzodiazepines, and antipsychotics.1 Research Highlights Left PCS signal: left paracingulate sulcus (PCS) presence …
Lithium prescribing during pregnancy sits in a knot of competing risks. The teratogenicity data have been recalibrated dramatically since the 1970s, while the postpartum-relapse data have moved in the opposite direction. Most popular framing still treats lithium as a uniquely dangerous fetal exposure to be avoided when possible. The new Chauhan UK cohort shows what …
A 1.6M-participant meta-analysis shows a clear gradient: parental schizophrenia hits offspring cognition harder than bipolar, which hits harder than MDD.
Bipolar disorder (BD), a complex and multifaceted mental illness, manifests through various mood states including depression, mania/hypomania, and euthymia. Recent advances in neuroimaging, particularly resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), have shed light on the intricate dynamics of brain activity underlying these mood states. A new study employing dynamic fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (dfALFF) …
Bipolar disorder (BD) remains a complex psychiatric condition with limited therapeutic options, posing a significant challenge in drug discovery. The latest research leverages network-based drug repurposing, employing advanced computational techniques to identify novel treatment strategies for bipolar disorder. Highlights: Network-based drug repurposing employs gene regulatory networks to identify potential new uses for existing drugs in …
Bipolar Disorder (BD), a complex psychiatric condition, is under constant study to better understand its pathophysiology and improve diagnostic and treatment strategies. Recent research has focused on the role of serum neurofilament light (sNfL), a marker for neuro-axonal injury, in BD. Highlights: Individuals with BD for more than three years exhibit higher sNfL levels compared …