New Options Available for Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

This is the fourth in a series of several posts on the treatment of bipolar disorder.

In previous posts, I have discussed traditional treatments for bipolar disorder, including medication and psychotherapy. These are still the primary courses of treatment for this disease.  The therapies that follow are those that are undertaken in the event that the traditional treatments have not proven completely effective.  The following treatments are, in some cases, experimental, but they have shown some promise in the management of bipolar symptoms.  They are by no means a "go-to" solution or cure for the illness and should only be even discussed after years of attempts by your doctor to manage your illness through traditional methods.  If traditional symptom management methods have failed, you and your doctor may determine that these new treatments should be tried. They are only last-ditch drastic measures to be used when everything else has failed.

 

Keep in mind that this blog is only one source of information and support for you as a fellow sufferer of bipolar disorder.  I am not a doctor, nor do I fully understand the medical ramifications of any of these potential treatment options.  Undertaking any type of treatment should be prescribed by and supervised by your doctor with the intent of providing the best possible outcomes for you as an individual.

Winwick Hospital, Electroconvulsive therapy, 1957

 

There are a few therapies available for the treatment of bipolar disorder that may be useful when medication isn't working as intended. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), or electro-shock therapy is one of these.  ECT has been a stand-by in psychiatric care for nearly a century.  Modern ECT is quite different than that which was used several years ago, however.  It is no longer as terrifying or debilitating as it once was.  In ECT, electrical currents are passed through the brain.  The procedure is thought to affect levels of neurotransmitters in your brain and typically offers immediate relief of even severe depression when other treatments don't work.  It does have some short-term side effects, though, like headaches, loss of memory, confusion, and disorientation.  These effects are usually temporary.  ECT is generally used for people who don't get better with medications, can't take antidepressants for health reasons or are at high risk of suicide.  It may be an option if you have severe depression or mania when you are pregnant and cannot take your regular medications.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation

 

A recent treatment development is Vagus Nerve Stimulation, or VNS.  This treatment involves surgical implantation of a small generator that is about the size of a silver dollar under the skin below the patient's clavicle.  Lead wires are threaded up the patient's neck and connected to the left vagus nerve near the carotid artery.  The generator delivers electrical impulses to the nerve lasting about 30 seconds every 3 to 5 minutes.  It works just like a pacemaker does for the heart.  This is not a quick fix for depression as it may take up to 9 months or more for a treatment response to occur.  Possible side effects include temporary hoarseness, cough and shortness of breath, but generally only during the 30 seconds the device is on.  As with pacemakers, eventually another surgery will be required to replace the battery when it wears out.  Doctors aren't quite sure how this procedure works, but it apparently does work over the long term.  The treatment has been endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association, but it is still awaiting final approval by the FDA.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation:  How it Works

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

 

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is another option for people who haven't responded to traditional bipolar medications.  It is a fairly new treatment procedure, only achieving FDA approval for use in bipolar disorder in 2015. During TMS, you sit in a reclining chair with a treatment coil placed against your scalp near the forehead.  The coil sends brief magnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells in your brain that are involved in mood regulation and depression.  Typically, you will receive five treatments per week for up to six weeks.

Light Therapy

 

Light Therapy has proven effective as an additional treatment for those who experience their severest depressions in the winter.  Patients sit in front of a special light box containing a full-spectrum light for 20 to 30 minutes a day.  This simulates the light of the summer sun, thereby improving symptoms of seasonal affective disorder related to bipolar depression.

 

Several other brain stimulation techniques are presently under study for treatment of bipolar depression, including cranial electrotherapy stimulation and deep brain stimulation.  All of these have similar characteristics for treatment as the procedures mentioned above, but may affect different areas of the brain.

Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation

Deep Brain Stimulation

"X-Ray of Steve's DBS Implant":  Deep Brain Stimulation

 

Despite all the new types of treatment being studied presently, medication and therapy has proven consistently more effective overall and is still the first course of treatment for bipolar disorder. Patients normally undergo years of treatment with medication and therapy before these traditional protocols can be deemed ineffective and other, newer types of treatment be pursued.  There are no speedy fixes for this illness.  It takes a lifetime of focused effort by both the patient and the doctor to cope with and overcome the difficulties and behavioral issues of the disease.  But through advances in medical technology and diagnostic procedures, attainment of a normal and fulfilling life, despite the difficulties of dealing with bipolar disorder, is possible.

 

Please contact me below or email me at angelasblogemail@gmail.com with any questions you may have or to share your own experiences with bipolar disorder and its treatment with me.

Peace and Love Always,

Colorful Brain Scan

 

Sources:  WebMD.com;  mayoclinic.org.

Photo Credits:  Sad Wall:  Photo credit: bulletproofbra via Visual hunt / CC BY-NC-ND;   Winwick Hospital, Electroconvulsive therapy, 1957:     Photo credit: liverpoolhls via Visual Hunt / CC BY-SA;  Vagus Nerve Stimulation:  Photo credit:  Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.  All Rights Reserved;  Transcranial Magnetic stimulation:  Diagram credit:  RTMS Therapy:  www.nicole-kidman.com;  Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation:  Photo credit:  www.hopkinsmedicine.org;  Light Therapy:  Photo credit:   www.belmarrahealth.com; 

Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation:  Photo credit:  www.yourcharlestonhealth.com;   Deep Brain Stimulation:  Diagram credit:  www.webmd.com;  "X-Ray of Steve's DBS Implant":  Deep Brain Stimulation:  Photo credit:  www.madinamerica.com;  Colorful Brain Scan:  Photo credit: Image Editor via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-ND