Essentials: The Science & Treatment of Bipolar Disorder
7/16/202635 min
In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explain the biology, symptoms and types of bipolar disorder (sometimes called bipolar depression), a condition characterized by extreme, maladaptive shifts in energy, mood and perception. I describe the diagnostic criteria that distinguish bipolar I from bipolar II, including mania and hypomania and the different patterns of mood cycling. I discuss the remarkable history and discovery of lithium and how it works, in part by reducing inflammation, providing neuroprotection and supporting the interoceptive neural circuits affected in bipolar disorder. I also cover talk therapies, electroconvulsive therapy and nutraceuticals such as omega-3 fatty acids and inositol, and I explore the intriguing relationship between mood disorders and creativity. This episode should interest anyone who has or knows someone with bipolar disorder, as well as those interested in how the brain balances mood, energy and focus.
Read the show notes at hubermanlab.com.
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Timestamps
(00:00:00) Bipolar Disorder
(00:01:09) Bipolar I; Manic Episode Symptoms
(00:05:00) Bipolar II, Hypomania; Depressive Episodes & Cycling
(00:09:00) Sponsor: BetterHelp
(00:10:09) Lithium Discovery, Dr. John Cade, Uric Acid
(00:12:14) Lithium Urate & Guinea Pigs, Control Experiments
(00:13:19) Lithium Salts Paper, Toxicity & Monitoring
(00:15:40) How Lithium Works: Inflammation & Neuroprotection
(00:16:50) Exteroception vs. Interoception, Neural Circuit Atrophy
(00:19:04) Sponsor: AG1
(00:20:29) Drug vs. Talk Therapies
(00:20:40) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal & Social Rhythm Therapy
(00:22:30) Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), Treatment-Resistant Depression
(00:24:07) Caution: Rely on Prescribed Treatment, Suicide Risk
(00:24:59) Tool: Lifestyle Support, Sleep, Exercise, Nutrition & Sunlight
(00:26:05) Tool: Inositol & Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Fish Oil Study
(00:29:53) Sponsor: Eight Sleep
(00:31:10) Creativity & Mood Disorders, Eminent Individuals Study
(00:34:00) Recap & Key Takeaways
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsAndrew Huberman· Host0:00
Welcome to Huberman Lab Essentials, where we revisit past episodes for the most potent and actionable science-based tools for mental health, physical health, and performance. I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. Today we are going to be discussing bipolar disorder, often called bipolar depression. Bipolar depression is a condition in which people undergo massive shifts in their energy, their perception, and their mood. However, it is very important to note that these shifts in mood, energy, and perception are all maladaptive. They can often cause tremendous damage to the person suffering from bipolar disorder and tremendous damage to the people in their lives. In fact, people suffering from bipolar disorder are at twenty to thirty times greater risk of suicide. So today is a serious discussion, and it's certainly one in which people who are suffering from manic bipolar disorder or who know people that are suffering from manic bipolar disorder can benefit from. So bipolar disorder impacts about one percent of people. That might seem like a small percentage, but if you think about a room of a hundred people, that means that at least one of them is very likely to have bipolar disorder. The typical age of onset is anywhere from twenty to twenty-five years old, although it can be much earlier. There are basically two kinds of bipolar disorder, referred to as bipolar one and bipolar two. Bipolar one is characterized by