Problems with motor control may be a key factor in bipolar disorder

[ygolo]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=motions-unmask-moods

What do you guys think about the connection?

 

[prplchknz]

I don't know, maybe

 

[rav3n]

Bolbecker points out that the cerebellum, located at the base of the brain, helps to regulate movement and is also involved in emotional reactions, such as fear and pleasure. In addition, the cerebellum connects to other parts of the brain linked to cognition, mood regulation and impulse control, three areas in which patients with bipolar disorder often have difficulties. If the cerebellum is damaged at the cellular level, it may create problems with both mood and motor control.

This last paragraph in the article summarises the connection. When viewed from the perspective that all these areas of difficulty are controlled by the cerebellum, it does appear to be a logical conclusion.

 

[INTP]

This study only said that people with bipolar have more small scale involuntary movement than average person.

This is just hype with no proofs and nothing to do with the study, just to get people to read the news..

Problems with motor control may be a key factor in bipolar disorder

 

[ygolo]

Yeah. I suppose the title overstates what the study actually suggests. This is often the case in science news. I just used the sub-title as the title for the thread.

The thing about it is, the hypothesis that people with bipolar disorder have cellular damage in the cerebellum seems eminently testable.

There is also this somewhat suggestive study:
http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v21/n1/abs/1395350a.html
and their followup:
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?Volume=162&page=1530&journalID=13

 

[INTP]

Yeah. I suppose the title overstates what the study actually suggests. This is often the case in science news. I just used the sub-title as the title for the thread.

The thing about it is, the hypothesis that people with bipolar disorder have cellular damage in the cerebellum seems eminently testable.

It doesent say anything about cellular damage in cerebellum, just abnormalities. There is no mentioning about what sort of abnormalities they are and if people who arent bipolar, but also have same sort of involuntary movements, have the same abnormalities in cerebellum. The word abnormality just refers that normal person doesent have the same structure in some parts of it or has all around bit abnormal structures.

For example if we would hypothize that some neurotransmitter would cause mania in bipolar, and that same neurotransmitter would excite brains all around alot, making cerebellum more active also.(btw cerebellum is controlling big movements that are restricted by other parts, basically cerebellum tells you to sway your arm in certain way and other areas stop it). So more cerebellum would try to make these movements more, which the other areas(in frontal cortex if i remember right) would inhibit(therefore creating this small scale involuntary shaking), BECAUSE of some neurotransmitter that causes the mental aspects of mania. Now brains structure shapes while you move or think in certain ways, so it might be that this excess amount of neurotransmitters in mania seasons shaped cerebellum to abnormal and cerebellum learned to act this way(force big movements, that other parts try to inhibit), therefore there would be some abnormality in cerebellum. This abnormality would just be learned forcing of big movements, nothing more.

And btw for example in parkinsons the shaking is about the lack of control to movements by these areas inhibiting cerebellums orders to move. Now with this case, if the signal to move(the abnormality in cerebellum) would be so strong that it can be inhibited, but would still 'leak' a bit even tho the other areas are capable of inhibiting major movements.

 

[ygolo]

Yeah. I didn't man to imply that the studies showed cellular damage.

Those in particular mention a reduction in area or volume of certain brain regions. One of the reductions in size was largely correlated to the use of medication.

I don't think the people who study these things are anywhere close to making a solid mechanistic connection. Just correlations and such. Progress happens slowly.

Edit: I am actually not sure which article/study you are referring to. I've liked three. Earlier I assumed this comment was about the last two.