Bipolar Disorder is a human condition characterized by recurrent manias and depression; an earlier term for bipolar disorder was manic depressive illness. Changes in energy levels and sleep patterns are prominent features in bipolar, very high energy with little need for sleep in manias and low energy with disrupted sleep during depressions. The cause of bipolar remains an enigma, scientists know plenty about the brain, but they simply don’t know why people develop bipolar or why they experience an episode at any given time.

The philosophy of the Prechter program embraces a pluralistic view to causality. There are many causes and contributing factors behind this condition. A precipitating or causal element of an episode today may not be as prominent in a later episode. There are many scientific disciplines behind the emerging sciences of bipolar and the challenge will be to integrate the emerging knowledge over time to help individuals and families that live with this condition.

FEATURED DISCUSSANTS

Melissa Haendel, Ph.D.
Chief Research Informatics Officer at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Peter Robinson, M.D., MSc.
Professor of Computational Biology, The Jackson Laboratory

PANELISTS

Ole Andreassen, Ph.D.
Professor in psychiatry at University of Oslo
Director of Norwegian Centre for Mental Disease Research

Katherine Burdick, Ph.D.
Director, Mood and Psychosis Research Program at Harvard Medical School

Mark A. Frye, M.D.
Professor of Psychiatry - Mayo Clinic

Sarah Morris, Ph.D.
Chief of the Adult Psychopathology and Psychosocial Interventions Research Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Division of Translational Research (DTR)

Andrew A. Nierenberg, M.D.
Director, Dauten Family Center for Bipolar Treatment Innovation - Massachusetts General Hospital