Bipolar Disorder Questions PDF

1. Describe the medication treatment for bipolar I disorder with acute mania a. Quetiapine – an antipsychotic that is a single treatment for mania and depression; one of the 5 FDA approved meds for bipolar disorder 2. Cite the differences between cyclothymia, bipolar I, and bipolar I...

1. Describe the medication treatment for bipolar I disorder with acute mania a. Quetiapine – an antipsychotic that is a single treatment for mania and depression; one of the 5 FDA approved meds for bipolar disorder 2. Cite the differences between cyclothymia, bipolar I, and bipolar II a. Cyclothymia: dysthymia with hypomanic symptoms that never meet a hypomanic criteria; present for 2 yrs in adults, 1 yr in kids & adolescents; pt will not be symptom free for longer than 2 months b. Bipolar I: combo of mania & euphoric highs preceded or followed by severe depression/suicide; interferes with work or social life; psychotic features may be present; first episode is brought on by a stressful life event; 1 episode for 1 week with at least 3 manic symptoms present c. Bipolar II: Hypomania with major depression, less intense form of mania with no psychotic symptoms present; does not interfere with work or social life; 1 or more major depressive episodes and at least 1 hypomanic episode; persistent elevated or irritable mood for at least 4 days with at least 3 manic symptoms present 3. Which anticonvulsant medication used for bipolar disorder has the least incidence of weight gain? a. Lamotrigine (Lamictal) 4. Describe kindling related to bipolar disorder and how to prevent this phenomenon. a. The earlier and more frequent the bipolar episodes, the more severe and persistent they become, so early interventions is essential in prevention 5. Are antidepressants indicated for bipolar I disorder? a. Antidepressants are generally not recommended as a standalone treatment for bipolar I disorder. This is because bipolar disorder involves cycling between depressive and manic episodes, and antidepressants can potentially trigger manic episodes or rapid cycling in some individuals with bipolar disorder. 7