NatalyDiaz

Biology
AshleyJuavinett
2/5/15
BipolarDisorder

ExperimentalQuestion:
WhataretheoverlapsofotherdisorderswithinBipolarDisorder?
Background:
Bipolardisorder,alsoknownasmanicdepressiveillness,isabraindisorderthatcauses
unusualshiftsinmood,energy,activitylevels,andtheabilitytocarryoutdailytasks.Symptomsof
bipolardisordercanbesevere.Theyaredifferentfromthenormalupsanddownsthateveryonegoes
throughfromtimetotime.Bipolardisordersymptomscanresultindamagedrelationships,poorjobor
schoolperformance,andevensuicide.Butbipolardisordercanbetreated,andpeoplewiththisillness
canleadfullandproductivelives.

Thepurposeofmyresearch/experimentistogainknowledgeonwhathappenstothefrontal
andtemporallobeswhiletakingtheactionsofbipolardisorder.Iamalsointerestedinseeingwhat
comesafterbipolardisorder.
Substanceabuseisverycommonamongpeoplewithbipolardisorder,but
thereasonsforthislinkareunclear.Somepeoplewithbipolardisordermaytrytotreattheirsymptoms
withalcoholordrugs.Substanceabusecanalsotriggerorprolongbipolarsymptoms,andthe
behavioralproblemsassociatedwithmaniacanleadtodrinkingtoomuch.Anxietydisorders,suchas
posttraumaticstressdisorder(PTSD)andsocialphobia,alsocancooccurwithbipolardisorder.

Bipolardisordercancooccurwithattentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder(ADHD)aswell,whichhas
somesymptomsthatoverlapwithbipolardisorder,suchasrestlessnessandbeingeasilydistracted.

However,thesymptomsofADHDarepersistent,whereasthoseofbipolardisorderare
episodic.
Thefrontallobesareinvolvedinmotorfunction,problemsolving,spontaneity,memory,
language,initiation,judgement,impulsecontrol,andsocialandsexualbehavior.Thetemporallobeis
involvedinprimaryauditoryperception,suchashearing,andholdstheprimaryauditorycortex.The
primaryauditorycortexreceivessensoryinformationfromtheearsandsecondaryareasprocessthe
informationintomeaningfulunitssuchasspeechandwords.
ItsbeenproventhatthebrainmalfunctionsinbipolardisordersaysEllenLeibenluft,MD,ofNIMH.I
believethatthebrainmalfunctionsbecauseifitwasworkingperfectlythenyouwouldn'tbediagnosed
withbipolardisorder.

InonearticlethatIreaditwasmentionedScientistsalsoareusingfMRItohelpdetermine
whetherchildrenhavesevereirritabilityandADHDasopposedtoaformofbipolardisorder.This
techniqueappearstoseparateyouthwithbipolardisorderfromthosewithchronicirritability
suggestingawaythatbrainimagingmayultimatelybehelpfulinclinicaldiagnosis.

ModelOrganism:
FormymodelorganismIwouldusemiceorhumans,Myreasonformiceisthattheybreed
fasterthanhumans,andthatthemicebrainissimilartothehumanbrain.TheonlyreasonthatI
wouldntusemiceisbecauseoftheminimumdifferencesbetweenthehumanandmice.Iwould
definitelychoosehumansbecauseitaffects5.7millionamericansalone,imagineaddingupallthe
othercountries?Humansaretheonesthatsufferfrombipolardisorder.


ExperimentalTechnique:
Manypeoplethinkthatparticipatinginaresearchstudymeanstheywillgetbettertreatmentfor
theirillness.Takingpartinastudydoesnotguaranteeindividualbenefitstotheparticipantintheform
ofnewerorsafertreatment.Thecontributionmadeparticipatinginaresearchstudyistosciencefirst
andtothepatientsecond.

Iwillrecordontheneuronsinthetemporalandfrontallobes.Iwouldalsoliketolookinto
optogeneticsandseewhathappenswhencertainneuronsarecalmeddownorturnedoff.If
optogeneticswouldbeapossibletreatmentforbipolardisorder.InmyhonestopinionIdon'tthink
thereisaresolutiontoanythingbutitcouldbetreated,and/orlessened.

Societal&EthicalImpacts:
Whilethismaybetrue,it'simportanttorememberthataresearchstudyisconductedfor
researchpurposes,itdoesnotensurebetterorsafertreatment.Thisresearchisnecessarybecausethe
moreweknowaboutacertainillness,disorder,orproblemaffectingthehumanrace,thenthebetterit
wouldbeforusinthelongrun.ItwillhelpsocietybecausewhenIwasdoingsomeresearchitwassaid
thatbipolarhumanbeingsarecapableofcommittingacrimesuchaskilling,inthenewsIveseen
reportsonmassacresonwherebipolardisorderaffectedpeoplearecommittingcrimesduetothe
disorder.

Criminals,lawenforcementworkers,eventhepresidentcansufferfrombipolardisorder,it
wouldhelpsocietyasawholebecauseyouarepreventingthefutureproblems,andalsoworkona
betterAmerica.


Ifwecouldfindacureoratleastatreatmentwithmyresearchthenwecouldbenefitfromit
becausethatwouldmeanthatwecanfindsolutionstotheproblemsinsteadofworkingpastthem.The
implicationswouldbe

References:
BipolarDisorderinAdults.(n.d.).RetrievedMarch4,2015,from
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolardisorderinadults/index.shtml?rf=

BipolarDisorder.(n.d.).RetrievedMarch4,2015,from
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolardisorder/index.shtml

ImagingIdentifiesBrainRegionsandChemicalsUnderlyingMoodDisordersMayLeadtoBetter
Treatments.(n.d.).RetrievedMarch5,2015,from
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/sciencenews/2008/imagingidentifiesbrainregionsandchemicalsund
erlyingmooddisordersmayleadtobettertreatments.shtml