Is bipolar disorder an inflammatory condition? The relevance of microglial activation

Abstract

Purpose of review: Literature published over the past few years indicates that bipolar disorder has an inflammatory component but does not explicitly define bipolar disorder as an inflammatory or a noninflammatory condition.

Recent findings: Recent studies have shown that bipolar disorder involves microglial activation and alterations in peripheral cytokines and have pointed to the efficacy of adjunctive anti-inflammatory therapies in bipolar depression.

Summary: The presence of active microglia and increased proinflammatory cytokines in bipolar disorder suggests an important role of inflammatory components in the pathophysiology of the disease, as well as a possible link between neuroinflammation and peripheral toxicity.