Why People With Bipolar Disorder Are Bigger Risk-Takers

Photo credit: michael, Flickr

Researchers at the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool have discovered that circuits in the brain involved in pursuing and relishing rewarding experiences are more strongly activated in people with bipolar disorder -- guiding them towards riskier gambles and away from safer ones.

The study by the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool, published in the journal BRAIN, used brain imaging to identify neural pathways that are responsible for the symptoms of the disorder.

The findings will help to design, evaluate and monitor therapies for bipolar disorder.
Patients with bipolar disorder experience episodes of depression and mania (periods of intense excitement and irritability, often leading to very risky behaviour) which occur unpredictably. It is one of the most serious and difficult to treat forms of mental illness, associated with reduced life expectancy, a high risk of suicide, and sometimes persistent impairment of work and social relationships.

In recent years, a number of people in the public eye, such as Stephen Fry and Catherine Zeta-Jones, have spoken openly about their diagnosis of bipolar disorder, raising awareness of the condition. But problems with social stigma, stereotypes, and prejudice against sufferers are still widespread.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140709095626.htm

Abstract available at Brain: Decision-making and trait impulsivity in bipolar disorder are associated with reduced prefrontal regulation of striatal reward valuation