Bipolar disorder is an inheritable illness that leads to extreme mood swings. About one in 100 Canadians suffer from this condition over their lifetime.

Efforts are being made to understand the pathophysiology or mechanism of the disease process. Researchers at UCLA are contributing to this understanding. In the July issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry, neuroscientists have shown how lithium interacts with the brain and how this may help explain why it helps many patients with bipolar disorder.

• Dr. Carrie Bearden, clinical neuropsychologist and Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Biobehavioural Sciences and Psychology at University of California, Los Angeles