HCPLive: Research shows that patients with bipolar disorder often have symptoms regulated by circadian function, including changes in mood, sleep, and appetite.

In the study, which was commissioned by the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) Chronobiology Task Force (CTF), the investigators analyzed relevant cross-disciplinary literature to identify exactly how circadian rhythm disruption impacts patients with bipolar disorder. This represents the first time researchers have integrated findings across levels of analysis to create an internally consistent and coherent theoretical framework.

The findings show the circadian system has a role in mood regulations that are associated with a bipolar diagnosis and mood-related traits across genetic, cellular, physiological, and behavioral domains.

However, circadian disruption is not specific in bipolar disorder and presents across a variety of high-risk, prodromal, and syndromic psychiatric disorders. There was significant variability and ambiguity among the different definitions, concepts, and assumptions underlying the current research with limited replication and the emergence of consensus findings.

Get the full story at hcplive.com.