Stressful Life events that occur during adulthood are defined as particularly significant experiences that result in substantial changes to personal circumstances. These changes may be positive or they may be negative changes and can occur across all aspects of life, including health, education, employment, relationships, bereavement, housing, legal, and financial issues. These can all contribute to the development of mental health problems.

What is the evidence for adult life events as risk factors for bipolar disorder?

Moderate to high quality evidence suggests no differences in the number of stressful events experienced prior to onset of bipolar disorder compared to unipolar depression or people without a mental illness.

October 2021

Image: ©peterschreiber.media – stock.adobe.com

The post Adult life events appeared first on NeuRA Library.

Pending enough primary studies, we invite reviews on this topic to be conducted. Alternatively we will endeavour to conduct our own review to fill this gap in the Library.

October 2021

Image: ©BillionPhotos.com – stock.adobe.com

The post Autonomic nervous system anomalies appeared first on NeuRA Library.

Antecedents, such as behavioural disturbances and psychopathology, are deviations in development that may become evident during childhood or adolescence. The presence of these deviations may foreshadow the later development of bipolar disorder, however most children who exhibit these antecedents do not develop the disorder. Studies exploring antecedents are ideally based on representative, population-based samples that follow the group from birth through childhood and adolescence to adulthood.

What is the evidence from long-term studies for behavioural disturbances and psychopathology as antecedents of bipolar disorder?

Moderate quality evidence suggests an increased risk of bipolar disorder in adulthood with a childhood history of attention problems (including ADHD), aggressive behaviour (but not irritability), internalising or externalising behaviour, social isolation, or peer rejection. There may also be an increased risk of bipolar disorder with prior conduct or oppositional defiant disorder, disruptive or criminal behaviour, impulsivity, or anxiety disorders (e.g. generalised, separation, panic, PTSD).

People with a history of mood swings, subclinical depression or mania, cyclothymic disorder, higher frequency and loading of depression, early onset of depression disorders or episodes, or psychotic symptoms (particularly if accompanied by depression), may also be at an increased risk of developing bipolar disorder.

October 2021

Image: ©obeyleesin – stock.adobe.com

The post Behaviour and psychopathology appeared first on NeuRA Library.

Pending enough primary studies, we invite reviews on this topic to be conducted. Alternatively we will endeavour to conduct our own review to fill this gap in the Library.

October 2021

Image: ©CLIPAREA.com – Fotolia – stock.adobe.com

The post Childbirth appeared first on NeuRA Library.

Childhood adversities encompass a range of childhood experiences, including loss of a close relative, bullying, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. The nature, timing, severity, and duration of exposure are likely to influence mental health outcomes.

What is the evidence for childhood adversities in people with bipolar disorder?

Moderate quality evidence finds a small to medium-sized increased risk of bipolar disorder after exposure to any childhood adversity. There were significantly higher rates of childhood adversity in people with bipolar disorder compared to people without bipolar disorder and compared to people with major depression. No differences in rates of childhood adversity were found between people with bipolar disorder and people with schizophrenia.

The rate of childhood emotional abuse in adults with bipolar disorder is around 30.0% compared to a general population rate between 6.54% and 14.07%. The rate of childhood physical abuse in adults with bipolar disorder is around 18.0% compared to a general population rate between 6.69% and 12.0%. The rate of childhood sexual abuse in adults with bipolar disorder is around 22.0% compared to a general population rate between 6.2% and 9.46%. The rate of childhood emotional neglect in adults with bipolar disorder is around 31.0% compared to a general population rate between 13.3% and 16.19%. The rate of childhood physical neglect in bipolar disorder is around 30.0% (no population rate is reported for physical neglect).

Childhood adversity is associated with more symptom episodes and severity, rapid cycling, psychosis, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, suicides, and an earlier age at onset.

October 2021

Image:©obeyleesin – stock.adobe.com

The post Childhood adversity appeared first on NeuRA Library.

Antecedents, including cognitive anomalies, are usually subtle deviations in development that may become evident during childhood or adolescence. The presence of these deviations may foreshadow the later development of bipolar disorder, however most children who exhibit deviations do not develop the disorder. Studies exploring antecedents are ideally based on representative, population-based samples that follow the group from birth through childhood and adolescence to adulthood.

What is the evidence from long-term studies on cognitive anomalies as antecedents of bipolar disorder?

Moderate to low quality evidence suggests a medium-sized effect of low IQ in childhood, particularly measured on attention and working memory scales, in people who developed bipolar disorder or mania in adulthood. However, this finding is not consistent across studies, and there is also evidence of a large association between high childhood IQ and mania in adulthood.

October 2021

Image: ©Freshidea – Fotolia – stock.adobe.com

The post Cognition appeared first on NeuRA Library.

Pending enough primary studies, we invite reviews on this topic to be conducted. Alternatively we will endeavour to conduct our own review to fill this gap in the Library.

October 2021

Image: ©stlk11 – stock.adobe.com

The post Environmental toxins appeared first on NeuRA Library.

Some ethnic groups may show greater or less risk for bipolar disorder than others. Incidence refers to how many new cases there are per population in a specified time period, while prevalence refers to how many existing cases there are at a particular point in time. Differences in the incidence and prevalence across various ethnic groups can provide clues to possible causes of bipolar disorder.

What is the evidence for ethnicity and risk for bipolar disorder?

Moderate quality evidence finds a medium-sized increased risk of affective psychosis (including bipolar disorder) in Black African and Black Caribbean ethnic groups living in England. There were also small increases in South Asian and other White groups (Irish, Eastern European).

Moderate to low quality evidence finds a small increased risk of bipolar disorder in people living in the US who have a Caucasian mother, with no association with having an African American mother or a mother from another ethnic background.

October 2021

Image:©www.peopleimages.com – stock.adobe.com

The post Ethnicity appeared first on NeuRA Library.

Pending enough primary studies, we invite reviews on this topic to be conducted. Alternatively, we will endeavour to conduct our own review to fill this gap in the Library.

October 2021

Image: ©Foto-Ruhrgebiet – Fotolia – stock.adobe.com

The post Eye tracking anomalies appeared first on NeuRA Library.

Pending enough primary studies, we invite reviews on this topic to be conducted. Alternatively, we will endeavour to conduct our own review to fill this gap in the Library.

October 2021

Image: ©freshidea – stock.adobe.com

The post Face emotion processing appeared first on NeuRA Library.