Innovative Approaches in the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

According to the World Health Organization, bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is the sixth leading cause of disability in the world. As per the stats, around 1% of the European population and 2.6% of the population in the U.S. has bipolar, and at least one alternate manic-depressive episode occurs in around 10% of the world population during their lifetime. Because of this illness, on an average, people lose more than 13 years of their productive life.

Advancements in the treatment of Bipolar disorder

Treatments and therapies for mood disorders such as bipolar are constantly evolving; however, not all of them are equally effective in every case. When it comes to conventional approaches to treatment, clinicians choose to assess, monitor, control, and treat the patients via -

• Bipolar medications
• Talk therapies
• ECT – Electroshock for bipolar
• Diet and nutrition
• Natural treatments
• Residential Treatment Centers

One important aspect to understand is that the treatment for BipolarII might need to be different from the treatment of Bipolar Type I. While treating a patient with Bipolar II, treatment may focus more on depression than on mania.

For Bipolar Disorder Treatment, Innovations are Ongoing

The European Commission paved the way a couple of years back by funding the research efforts for people suffering from bipolar disorder. The researchers named the project, MONARCA, an acronym for Monitoring, Treatment, and Prediction of Bipolar Disorder. Since then, researchers are continuously evolving an innovative approach for the assessment, treatment, and self-management of the disease. The objective is to predict bipolar disorder episodes among those who suffer from severe to low-intensity mood swings.

MONARCA involves innovative approaches based on pharmacological, psychotherapeutic methods, and clinical scales (e.g. BRAMS, HAMD, and self-assessments), developing and validating a multi-parametric, closed-loop approach to improve the treatment, management, and self-treatment of bipolar disorder. Moreover, it is an advanced system that integrates five modules –

• A sensor-enabled mobile phone
• A wrist-worn activity monitor
• A novel shock integrated-physiological sensor (GSR, pulse)
• A stationary EEG system for periodic measurements
• A home gateway

With the help of these components, the system continuously grabs traces of GPS location, physical motion information, and recognition of complex activities such as - eating habits, household activity, and amount and quality of sleep. It then synchronizes the information to the patient’s profile that will be later accessed by the doctor to analyze and suggest treatment. This innovative system will help in -

• The accurate assessment of bipolar disorder episodes through objective monitoring
• The prevention of crisis episodes through event prediction algorithms
• Identifying main and eventually new markers for diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder
• Supporting caregivers for handling treatment and risk situations
• Improving patients’ self-management of the disease
• Positively influencing in lowering healthcare costs

However, the treatment would vary according to the needs and the condition of the patient. While there is a flood of information about bipolar disorder available on the internet, it is quite easy to get confused about the treatment options. Remember that the treatment of bipolar varies according to the type of bipolar disorder you have, and what phase of the illness you are in.

There are different options for treating Bipolar I and Bipolar II. In addition, the treatment may be different for an acute episode of mania as compared to an acute episode of depression. Moreover, the treatment for the maintenance phase of bipolar disorder may be different as well.

Healthcare is transforming and bringing in innovative methodologies to treat and control diseases that were once untreatable. Utilizing technology, patient history, and medicinal and therapeutic procedures, doctors are now advising treatment options that help those that struggle live fuller lives.

Robert The author is a veteran from the field of Mental health, who works at BP Hope Magazine and is writing a lot of informative stuff since long.