Personality Disorders

Researchers from University of Texas Health Science Center, Health Science Center report ...

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Researchers from University of Texas Health Science Center, Health Science Center report details of new studies and findings in the area of bipolar disorder therapy

Current study results from the report, 'One-year treatment outcomes of African-American and Hispanic patients with bipolar I or II disorder in STEP-BD,' have been published. According to recent research from the United States, "Few studies have compared treatment outcomes of African-American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white patients with bipolar disorder. The U.S. Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder compared one-year outcomes for bipolar I or II disorder from each of these racial-ethnic groups."

"African Americans (N=155) were retrospectively compared with a matched group of non-Hispanic whites (N=729), and Hispanics (N=152) were compared with a separate matched group of non-Hispanic whites (N=822). Response and recovery outcomes were examined. Survival analysis was used to compare time to treatment response for depression (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale) and mania (Young...

Bipolar Advantage Sponsors International Mental Health Awareness Events

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:01:00 +0000

Bipolar Advantage is sponsoring Mental Health Awareness Events in 60 cities across the U.S., Canada, and UK throughout 2010. The events provide inspirational speakers to communities, bringing attention to positive attitudes and new perspectives in mental health. Mental health advocacy groups, colleges, clinics, therapists, and others will share information on their services and programs. These events will raise awareness and change the stereotypes of living with mental conditions.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) January 27, 2010 -- Bipolar Advantage is sponsoring events in over 60 cities in 2010 that will include talks to educate, inspire, and connect communities around the topic of Mental Health Awareness.

“The mission of Bipolar Advantage is to help people with mental conditions shift their thinking and behavior so that they can lead extraordinary lives.” To that end, these events will provide speakers that give a message of hope and fight stigma. Bipolar Advantage President, Tom Wootton says,...

"Wicked" Star Patty Duke Takes a Stage Break to Talk About Bipolar Disorder

Dennis Miller — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:38:14 +0000

radio/audio/PattyDukeWicked.mp3 Click here to listen to the audio.

By Robin Jay, BHC Editorial Director

Actress Patty Duke is one of those rare entertainers who grew from a beloved child star to an Academy Award-winning performer as an adult. She won the hearts of Americans in her role as look-a-like cousins on the Patty Duke Show in the 1960s. Then, at just 16, she was the youngest child to win an Oscar — for her portrayal of Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker alongside Anne Bancroft, who played Annie Sullivan. But while this talented actress was wowing audiences on television, in film and on stage over the years, many had no idea how difficult her personal childhood was and how it may have impacted her future.

Patty’s birth name was Anna Marie Duke. She was born in Queens, New York, to Frances Duke, who suffered from depression, and John Patrick Duke, who...

New Book By Tom Wootton Challenges Everything We Believe About Mental Conditions

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 07:01:00 +0000

Bipolar Advantage Publishers is releasing a new book by Tom Wootton on January 15th that defines success in a way that no one ever has. "Bipolar In Order: Looking at Depression, Mania, Hallucination, and Delusion from the Other Side" challenges everything we believe about bipolar from how we define it to how we treat it, and details a clear path to a better life.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) January 6, 2010 - The new book Bipolar In Order: Looking at Depression, Mania, Hallucination, and Delusion from the Other Side defines success in a way that no one ever has. It challenges everything we believe about bipolar from how we define it to how we treat it, and details a clear path to a better life.

By shattering the notions about the end goals of treatment, Bipolar In Order goes beyond the hope and encouragement found in his previous books, Bipolar Advantage and Depression Advantage. It helps people with mental conditions shift their thinking...

The heartache of bipolar disorder: Franklin family tells its story in an HBO documentary ...

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:09:00 +0000

Jan. 5--Andrew Lipsitt won't mind all the time cameras followed his family or the personal questions he was asked -- as long as the resulting documentary is good and it opens people's minds.

He and his parents -- Marcie and Eric Lipsitt of Franklin -- are featured in an HBO documentary scheduled to air Wednesday that sheds light on how families cope with a diagnosis of pediatric bipolar disorder.

Andrew Lipsitt, 20, who was diagnosed when he was 5, said most people know nothing about the disorder, and that he hopes the documentary will "help with research, because there's just not enough."

Kate Davis, who produced and directed the film with her husband, David Heilbroner, said it's the first time the subject of pediatric bipolar disorder has been looked at from the view of parents and children living with it.

She followed five families in the U.S. for about a year. The documentary,...

BHC News Brief: New Study Suggests Lithium Alone or in Combination Therapy May Be Better ...

Dennis Miller — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 03:10:38 +0000

A University of Oxford study has found that bipolar disorder patients are less likely to relapse if treated with lithium than with sodium valproate. In recent years, sodium valproate has increasingly been prescribed over lithium as the first-line, long-term therapy for bipolar disorder.

The study, published in the medical journal The Lancet, suggests that patients who have been prescribed valproate would achieve better clinical results if lithium were added to their therapy, or if they switched to lithium therapy alone. Researchers found significantly fewer relapses among those on both drugs over the two-year study period.

BHC News Brief: Antiepileptic Drugs Not Linked to Suicide Among Bipolar Patients

Dennis Miller — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:15:48 +0000

A new study suggests antiepileptic drugs are not associated with an increased risk of suicide in individuals with bipolar disorder. The study’s authors say the drugs may even have a protective effect. Antiepileptic drugs are frequently prescribed for conditions other than seizure disorders, including mood disorders such as bipolar disorder

The study seems to contradict recent FDA warnings regarding increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior related to the use of antiepileptic drugs. An FDA panel voted in July, 2008, to warn that there was a significant association between antiepileptic drugs and suicide, although the panel stopped short of ordering a black box warning on antiepileptic drugs.

In the study, published in the December issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, Robert D. Gibbons, Ph.D., of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and colleagues examined the records of 47,918 patients with bipolar disorder who whom there was at least one year of data...

Alexza Announces Submission of AZ-004 (Staccato(R) Loxapine) NDA

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:05:00 +0000

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California, December 14 /PRNewswire/ --

- Filing of the First Staccato-Based NDA Completed Ahead of Schedule

- Conference Call Scheduled for Tomorrow - Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time

Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALXA) today announced that it has submitted its New Drug Application (NDA) for Staccato(R) loxapine (AZ-004) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). AZ-004 is an inhalation product candidate being developed for the rapid treatment of agitation in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The IND for Staccato loxapine was filed with the FDA in August 2005.

"AZ-004 has delivered a predictable and consistent safety and efficacy profile in treating patients with agitation," said James V. Cassella, PhD, Senior Vice President, Research and Development at Alexza. "We believe that AZ-004, if approved, has the potential to change the treatment practices for acute agitation, as the only product able to meet both the patients' desire for quickly and comfortably gaining control, and the clinicians' goal of rapidly...

As bipolar diagnoses in foster children rise, informed consent becomes a bygone: Psychotropics ...

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:12:00 +0000

Dec. 10--Powerful mood-altering drugs were prescribed to hundreds of Illinois foster children without the required consent of state child welfare officials, a Tribune analysis of government data has found.

And increasing numbers of young wards were diagnosed with bipolar disorder and given a class of anti-psychotic medicines that some physicians consider risky for youths because they can cause such side effects as metabolic abnormalities and pronounced weight gain.

The number of Illinois wards diagnosed with bipolar disorder nearly doubled between 2000 and 2007, when roughly 9 percent of the state's nearly 16,000 wards were diagnosed as bipolar, the Tribune found.

"This is a really concerning statistic," said Dr. Michael Naylor, a University of Illinois at Chicago psychiatrist who reviews psychotropic medicine regimens for the state Department of Children and Family Services. Naylor said he worries that drug firms' marketing efforts are driving the diagnoses.

Many doctors say psychotropic medicines give troubled youths a...

Research and Markets: Bipolar Disorder Report - Drug Pipeline Analysis and Market Forecasts to 2015

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:30:00 +0000

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/65e4b4/bipolar_disorder ) has announced the addition of GlobalData's new report "Bipolar Disorder - Drug Pipeline Analysis and Market Forecasts to 2015" to their offering.

"Bipolar Disorder - Drug Pipeline Analysis and Market Forecasts to 2015" is an essential source of information and analysis on the global bipolar disorder market. The report identifies the key trends shaping and driving the dynamism in the global bipolar disorder market. The report also provides insight on the prevalent competitive landscape and the emerging...

FDA Approves Lilly's Zyprexa for Two Adolescent Indications

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:30:00 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved Zyprexa® (olanzapine) in tablet form as an option for the treatment of schizophrenia and manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adolescents aged 13-17 years old.

The updated Zyprexa label states that clinicians should take into consideration the increased potential for weight gain and hyperlipidemia in adolescents compared to adults and the potential for long-term risks, which in many cases, may lead them to consider prescribing other drugs first in adolescents. Compared to patients from adult clinical trials, adolescents were also likely to experience increased sedation and greater increases in prolactin levels and hepatic transaminase (liver enzymes) levels. The recommended starting dose for adolescents is lower than that for adults.

An FDA Psychopharmacologic Drug Advisory Committee (PDAC) met in June and discussed the difficulties of diagnosing and treating these conditions in adolescents. The...

Recovery Act Funding Supports Study of Bipolar Disorder

Jennifer Hageman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:37:04 +0000

A Recovery Act limited funding Grand Opportunities (GO) grant from the National Institutes of Mental Health, which “support high impact ideas…that accelerate critical breakthroughs, early and applied research on cutting-edge technologies, and new approaches,” has been awarded to a Burnham Institute for Medical Research (BIMR) team for the study of the molecular foundation of bipolar disorder.

The researchers, headed by Dr. Evan Snyder, will use some of the latest technology to convert skin cell samples from bipolar patients with varying degrees of lithium responsiveness, to brain cells. This is achieved by reprogramming skin cells into “human induced pluripoten stem cells (hIPSCs).” Acting like stem cells, these hIPSCs can be persuaded to form other cells. Since the resulting brain cells carry with them the molecular fingerprint of the original donor, they can be analyzed for function and regulation.

The proteomic and phosphoproteomic results will be shared with other investigators as well, and lay...

Pfizer Receives FDA Approval For Geodon® (Ziprasidone HCI) Capsules For The Adjunctive ...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:18:00 +0000

Data Show Geodon Used as an Adjunct to Lithium or Valproate Is Effective in the Maintenance Treatment of Bipolar I Disorder

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pfizer today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Geodon^® (ziprasidone HCI) Capsules for maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder as an adjunct to lithium or valproate in adults. The approval is based on clinical data demonstrating that Geodon is an effective and generally well-tolerated adjunctive treatment for long-term symptom control in patients with bipolar disorder.

...

California Bipolar Foundation Seeds Huge NIMH Grant

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:01:00 +0000

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Thanks to a $50,000 grant from the California Bipolar Foundation (CBF) to post-doctoral research fellow Dr. Illyas Singec at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research (BIMR), a research team headed by Dr. Evan Snyder (along with co-investigators Drs. Dieter Wolfe and Lawrence Brill), was able to accumulate sufficient preliminary data to win an extremely competitive Grand Opportunities (GO) grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to explore the molecular basis of Bipolar Disorder (BPD).

BPD is a severe and prominent societal malady with poorly understood etiology. This neuropsychiatric condition is defined by a lifetime of relapsing and remitting manic and depressive episodes and has been shown to have strong genetic linkage with familial predisposition.

The recently funded project represents the convergence of a series of cutting-edge technologies and approaches to better understand the molecular basis of this condition and hopefully identify better and more...

Media Advisory - Demystifying Bipolar Disorder in Nova Scotia: Integrating it into Everyday Lives

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:59:00 +0000

A fact-based media briefing on bipolar disorder in Nova Scotia

HALIFAX, Nov. 18 /CNW/ - An estimated 26,000 Nova Scotians live with bipolar disorder. Often stigmatized in popular culture, the experience of bipolar disorder varies from one person to the next and almost always has a drastic impact on how individuals think, behave and function.

Bipolar Disorder dramatically affects the lives of those who have the illness as well as their families, friends, colleagues and employers. Unlike many other illnesses, delays from the onset of symptoms of bipolar disorder to the time of initial treatment can last up to 20 years.

Please join us for a live webcast media briefing that will address some of the facts and perceptions about bipolar disorder. Media are invited to participate via webcast, where a panel of experts will highlight:

    <<
    -   Statistics on prevalence, information on diagnosis...

'Living Out of Darkness: A personal journey of embracing the bipolar opportunity'

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:40:00 +0000

SARASOTA, Fla., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Many Americans suffer from bipolar disorder and their treatment often includes myriad medications. But what if there is another way to cope with the illness that comes from within? In his revolutionary new guidebook, "Living Out of Darkness: A personal journey of embracing the bipolar opportunity" (published by AuthorHouse), George Denslow -- who was diagnosed bipolar at age 17 -- presents a comprehensive, in-depth look at how to manage bipolar symptoms using a technique he calls "unmedicated spiritual engagement."

Denslow is quick to point out that he is not a psychologist, psychiatrist or psychotherapist, and "Living Out of Darkness" "is not a clinical dissertation on how to treat bipolar," he writes. "It is a true, practical, written on the ground, map of what [I] have discovered living in the terrain [myself]."

Divided into four parts, "Part 1: What is Bipolar" begins with a brief explanation...

National Bipolar Foundation Rallies Broad Support

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:02:00 +0000

Memphis Mayor, AC Wharton Announces Press Conference Endorsing New Program as Ground-Breaking

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On November 17 at 2:00 pm, Memphis Mayor AC Wharton will announce during a press conference at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center his support for the a new cooperative venture that assists individuals with bipolar disorder. The Memphis-based National Bipolar Foundation has been in the national spotlight during the past few weeks for its joint initiative with the MedicAlert Foundation. A major breakthrough to benefit people living with bipolar disorder has been developed for the first time ever. The effort has produced a preventive care program called "Safe 'til Stable®." The initiative provides vital medical information to emergency responders in time of need through MedicAlert's live 24-hour emergency response service. In a medical emergency, this can help reduce the trauma experienced by individuals impacted with bipolar disorder. If an individual...

Bipolar kids may have body clock problem

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:35:00 +0000

U.S. researchers link malfunctioning circadian clock genes to bipolar disorder in children.

The study, involving 152 children with the condition and 140 control children, found four versions of the regulatory gene RORB associated with pediatric bipolar disorder.

RORB is mainly expressed in the eye, pineal gland and brain. Its expression is known to change as a function of circadian rhythm in some tissues, and mice without the gene exhibit circadian rhythm abnormalities.

"Our findings suggest that clock genes in general and RORB in particular may be important candidates for further investigation in the search for the molecular basis of bipolar disorder," study leader Alexander Niculescu from Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis said in a statement.

Niculescu said pediatric bipolar disorder is characterized by alternating bouts of depression and mania in children, but it does not affect all young people in the same way and its duration and severity can...

Faulty body clock genes could cause bipolar disorder in kids

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:01:00 +0000

Washington, Nov 12 (ANI): Genes behind malfunctioning circadian clock could be responsible for bipolar disorder in children, according to a study.

In a collaborative study, researchers found four versions of the regulatory gene RORB that were associated with paediatric bipolar disorder.

Alexander Niculescu from Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, US, and others at Harvard, UC San Diego, Massachusetts General Hospital and SUNY Upstate Medical University, studied the RORA and RORB genes of 152 children with the condition and 140 control children.

They found four alterations to the RORB gene that were positively associated with being bipolar.

RORB is mainly expressed in the eye, pineal gland and brain. Its expression is known to change as a function of circadian rhythm in some tissues,...

Memphis Mayor Endorses National Bipolar Foundation

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:20:00 +0000

Forward thinking Mayor A.C. Wharton, sees Benefit in New Safe 'til Stable Program

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Memphis Mayor, A.C. Wharton stands up for the outstanding Memphis-based National Bipolar Foundation; a press conference is to be hosted by University of Tennessee Health & Science Center on November 17th at 2pm at the Student Center at 800 Madison in Room 305. The National Bipolar Foundation has been in the national spotlight during the past few weeks for its initiative in cooperation with the MedicAlert Foundation. A major breakthrough to benefit people living with Bipolar disorder has been developed for the first time ever. The cooperative venture has produced a preventative care program called "Safe 'til Stable." It provides vital medical information to emergency responders in time of need through our live 24-hour emergency response service. In a medical emergency, this can help reduce the trauma experienced by individuals...

Actress Debi Mazar Talks About her Family's Experience with Bipolar Depression

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:01:00 +0000

WILMINGTON, Del., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As part of a panel discussion on bipolar disorder, actress Debi Mazar revealed today that her family has been affected firsthand by this disease. Debi was joined in New York by people living with bipolar depression (the depressive phase of bipolar disorder) and healthcare professionals who treat it as part of the SPEAK and Be Heard ... Living With Bipolar Depression campaign. The nationwide program is sponsored by AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) as part of its ongoing efforts to raise awareness of mental illness.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091027/PH99766LOGO )

Mazar, best known for her recent performances on "Dancing with the Stars" and the HBO hit series "Entourage," talked about the impact bipolar depression has had on her family ever since a close relative was diagnosed with the disease 10 years ago. Like many people with this disease, Mazar's family member coped with symptoms for years before getting...

Living Out of Darkness: A Fulfilling Bipolar Life Without Medication

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:15:00 +0000

Living Out of Darkness: A personal journey of embracing the bipolar opportunity, by George Denslow, provides a possible alternative to medication for bipolar individuals. The guidebook takes a holistic, natural, spiritual approach to bipolar and is now available in both paperback and new iPhone App (e-book) formats. Denslow is also launching his Bipolar Life Coaching program this month, including a special offer - the first 5 people to sign up will get free coaching through February, 2010.

Sarasota, FL (PRWEB) November 9, 2009 -- Many Americans suffer from bipolar disorder and their treatment often includes myriad medications. But what if there is another way to cope with the illness that comes from within? In his revolutionary new guidebook, Living Out of Darkness: A personal journey of embracing the bipolar opportunity , George Denslow - who was diagnosed bipolar at age 17 - presents a comprehensive, in-depth look at how to manage bipolar symptoms using a technique he calls "unmedicated spiritual engagement."

Denslow,...

Bipolar Disorder Increases 4,000 Percent In Children And Adolescents [Basil and Spice]

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:35:00 +0000

Nov. 3--What do you think would happen if childhood leukemia increased by more than 4,000 percent in children and adolescents over an eight-year period? I imagine medical experts everywhere would be scrambling to find out why. Yet diagnoses of bipolar disorder did just that in a recent eight-year period, mostly in boys, and no one is asking why.

Boys at younger ages than ever before are being labeled with ADHD, Asperger's (autism), and bipolar disorder at alarming rates. Medication begins, often for behaviors which are simply a part of normal boy development. The criteria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, provided by the American Psychiatric Association to help physicians diagnose ADHD, make it very easy to hand out this diagnosis and the medication which accompanies the condition. The checklist of symptoms applies not just to kids who do have ADHD, but...

Mental Health America Applauds Bipartisan Legislation To Help Treat Americans For Depression ...

Dennis Miller — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:21:56 +0000

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (October 28, 2009)—Mental Health America is applauding legislation introduced by a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators to establish national centers of excellence for the treatment of depression and bipolar disorders.

The centers will create a national network to help diagnose people in need and improve access to evidence-based, quality care.

The bill, called the “ENHANCED Act” was introduced by U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), George Voinovich (R-Ohio), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and John Kerry (D-Mass.). Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) is also a co-sponsor.

The legislation is based on efforts catalyzed by the University of Michigan Depression Center with 15 other leading academic medical centers across the nation. Joining together, these universities created a network of depression centers positioned to take academic research and translate it into practice, standardize diagnoses, treat early and more effectively, and prevent recurrences of depression and bipolar disorders.

In a letter to Stabenow applauding her leadership in crafting...

Some may 'outgrow' bipolar disorders

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:28:00 +0000

Half of young patients may "outgrow" bipolar disorder by age 30, U.S. researchers suggest.

The Missouri University study, published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, was based on two large national surveys.

Study co-author Kenneth Sher and colleagues say 5.5 percent to 6.2 percent of people between the ages of 18-24 suffer from bipolar disorder, but only about 3 percent of people older than 29 do.

"Young adults between the ages of 18-24 are going through significant life changes and social strain, which could influence both the onset and course of the disorder," Sher said in a statement.

The researchers also suggest the prevalence of the disorder could be affected by brain development -- particularly of the prefrontal cortex.

"The maturing of the prefrontal cortex of the brain around 25 years of age could biologically explain the developmentally limited aspect of bipolar disorder," lead author David Cicero said.

"Other researchers have found...