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Review
. 2013 Mar;202(3):172-6.
doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.112.116855.

Bipolar disorder and substance misuse: pathological and therapeutic implications of their comorbidity and cross-sensitisation

Robert M Post  1 , Peter Kalivas
Affiliations
Review

Bipolar disorder and substance misuse: pathological and therapeutic implications of their comorbidity and cross-sensitisation

Robert M Post et al. Br J Psychiatry. 2013 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Bipolar disorder has a high co-occurrence with substance use disorders, but the pathophysiological mechanisms have not been adequately explored.

Aims: To review the role of stress in the onset and recurrence of affective episodes and substance misuse.

Method: We review the mechanisms involved in sensitisation (increased responsivity) to recurrence of stressors, mood episodes and cocaine use.

Results: Evidence suggests that intermittent stressors, mood episodes and bouts of cocaine use not only show sensitisation to themselves, but cross-sensitisation to the others contributing to illness progression. Converseley, an understanding of the common mechanisms of sensitisation (such as regionally selective alterations in brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and hyperactivity of striatally based habit memories), could also result in single therapies (such as N-acetylcysteine) having positive effects in all three domains.

Conclusions: These interacting sensitisation processes suggest the importance of early intervention in attempting to prevent increasingly severe manifestations of bipolar illness and substance misuse progression.

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Conflict of interest statement

Dr. Robert Post reports no financial conflict of interest pertinent to this manuscript.

Dr. Peter Kalivas reports no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
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MeSH terms