Bipolar? Your Brain is Wired to Make Poor Decisions

Struggling to plan and make decisions while depressed or manic are common problems. But have you ever had trouble doing the same while relatively stable? New research may show why.

Researchers examined ninety patients’–forty-five with bipolar disorder in stable moods, and forty-five controls without bipolar disorder–brains, and discovered that, in the bipolar sufferers, there are certain areas of the brain that have reduced activation regardless of mood due to structural damage.

This is the first study to look at the relationship between functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) and structural MRIs in bipolar disorder. The scientists found that the patients with bipolar suffered from reduced cortical thickness and thus had less activity in areas of the brain that controlled impulses, or contributed to making decisions.

The study was published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, and conducted by scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles.

As this is the first study to find a link between structure and function, the results are exciting. The research proves that bipolar disorder damages your brain. You’re not stupid; your brain is just wired to make impulsive decisions and be poor at planning.

The scientists who conducted the study hope that their research will be used in future intervention studies. Good news!

Author: Cassandra Stout

Hi! My name is Cassandra Stout, and I am a freelancer and memoirist who blogs at The Bipolar Parent (Cassandrastout.com/bpparent) and at the International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF.org). My current project is Committed, my upcoming memoir that depicts my time spent in a psych ward after a postpartum psychotic breakdown. I am a ten-year member of a five-person critique group called the Seattle Scribblers. It's nice to meet you! View all posts by Cassandra Stout