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bipolar disorder Article

bipolar disorder summary

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see bipolar disorder.

bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive psychosis, Mental illness characterized by the alternation of manic and depressive states. Depression is the more common symptom, and many patients experience only a brief period of overoptimism and mild euphoria during the manic phase. The condition, which seems to be inheritable, probably arises from malregulation of the amines norepinephrine, dopamine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine. It is most commonly treated with lithium carbonate.