Researchers Find That Young Adults May Outgrow Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, causes the individual to have extreme shifts in mood and energy. He or she will experience a phase of depression followed by a phase of ephoria or extreme happiness. This can cause interference with the individual's ability to function normally. Traditionally, biopolar disorder has been considered a lifelong disorder. However, researchers at the University of Missouri have found evidence that may prove the contrary.
Using two large, national studies, they found that bipolar disorder is most often diagnosed in early adulthood. However, though 5.5 to 6.2 percent of the population between the ages of 18 and 24 suffer from the disorder, only about 3 percent of the population 29 years old or older suffer from it. This suggests that about half of young adults with bipolar disorder may be able to outgrow it by the time they reach thirty.
Kenneth J. Sher, one of the coauthors of this study, says that this may be caused by the fact that individuals within the 18 to 24 age group experience many significant life changes, which may influence the onset and course of the disorder. By the time they reach their mid-twenties, however, life is more stable, and they have adjusted to these changes. Additionally, the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain that controls personality, intelligence, and reactions to social situations, doesn't fully develop until about the age of twenty-five. Sher also says that this may play a biological role in the lessening of bipolar disorder with age, as other researchers have found similar results for young adults with alcohol or substance abuse disorders.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/165712.php
I liked this article because I find neurological health particularly fascinating. The brain really is one of the body's "final frontiers" for researchers and engineers. There is still so much that we have yet to discover about how the brain and neurological health work. Additionally, I know several people who suffer from bipolar disorder, one of whom is only a few years younger than I am. I find it interesting that she may eventially be able to outgrow her disorder.
Using two large, national studies, they found that bipolar disorder is most often diagnosed in early adulthood. However, though 5.5 to 6.2 percent of the population between the ages of 18 and 24 suffer from the disorder, only about 3 percent of the population 29 years old or older suffer from it. This suggests that about half of young adults with bipolar disorder may be able to outgrow it by the time they reach thirty.
Kenneth J. Sher, one of the coauthors of this study, says that this may be caused by the fact that individuals within the 18 to 24 age group experience many significant life changes, which may influence the onset and course of the disorder. By the time they reach their mid-twenties, however, life is more stable, and they have adjusted to these changes. Additionally, the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain that controls personality, intelligence, and reactions to social situations, doesn't fully develop until about the age of twenty-five. Sher also says that this may play a biological role in the lessening of bipolar disorder with age, as other researchers have found similar results for young adults with alcohol or substance abuse disorders.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/165712.php
I liked this article because I find neurological health particularly fascinating. The brain really is one of the body's "final frontiers" for researchers and engineers. There is still so much that we have yet to discover about how the brain and neurological health work. Additionally, I know several people who suffer from bipolar disorder, one of whom is only a few years younger than I am. I find it interesting that she may eventially be able to outgrow her disorder.
posted by Pamplemousse at 10:22 AM
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