Current Bipolar Disorder Research

Research into new treatments for bipolar disorder include magnetic therapy, rTMS, and the Step-BD program to determine the best treatment practices for bipolar disorder.

Gold Standard for Treating Bipolar Disorder (part 21)

Magnetic Therapy: A new treatment called Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) uses powerful electro-magnets put next to the frontal part of the skull to change underlying brain activity. This change in metabolic activity has been shown to alter mood. This magnet therapy has helped some people with bipolar disorder with few reported side-effects. This is a new technique and will need more studies to determine its efficacy and safety. 

Step- BD: The Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) is a large, national research program to determine the best treatment practices for bipolar disorder. This study, which began in 1998 and concluded in September 2005, included a total of 4,360 participants with bipolar disorder who were followed long-term to determine which treatment(s), or combination of treatments are most effective for treating the episodes of depression and mania in bipolar disorder and for preventing recurrence. The results are pending.

next: What are Some of the Bipolar Disorder Treatment Challenges? (part 22)