Bipolar disorder (BD) is a common, chronic, severe, complex, and costly group of recurrent psychiatric illnesses that are devastating for the affected individual and their families and imposes high health care related costs on society. There is a great need for more effective and better tolerated drug treatments for BD. Although the pathophysiology and neurobiological processes responsible for BD are not fully understood, a greater understanding of the causative underlying mechanisms is gradually emerging, and this may inform the development of new treatments. Future advances are expected based on the ability to manipulate and redress the fundamental disease processes that underlie BD. In this symposium we will address 4 key areas of BD with regards to Psychopharmacology. Professor Steven Marwaha (University of Birmingham, UK) will review the comorbidity and putative pathophysiological overlap of ADHD and BD and discuss the latest research evidence about drug treatment; Professor Kathleen Merikangas (NIMH, Washington D.C.) will review the literature about ecological valid biomarkers of early-stage BD and their role in the development of new treatments; Dr Rebecca Strawbridge (KCL, London) will review the treatment of rapid-Cycling Bipolar Disorder Dr Sameer Jauhar (KCL, London) will review the pathophysiology and treatment of first episode mania.
Chair: Professor Allan Young, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London
ADHD and bipolar disorder: development, pathophysiology, comorbidity and pharmacological treatment - Professor Steven Marwaha, University of Birmingham
Rhythms and blues: dynamics of bipolar disorder; implications for prevention and intervention - Professor Kathleen Merikangas, NIMH, Washington D.C., USA
Treatment efficacy for rapid cycling in people with bipolar disorder: a meta-analytic evidence synthesis - Dr Rebecca Strawbridge, King's College London
Let us start at the very beginning - pathophysiology and treatment of first episode mania -Dr Sameer Jauhar, King's College London
