Project prep on Bipolar Disorder Assignment

Instructions

Consider the disorder you picked last week. What is going on in the brain of someone with that disorder? For this assignment, you will answer the following questions:

• Choose one brain structure (e.g. amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex) OR one neurotransmitter (e.g. serotonin, dopamine) that is impacted by this disorder.
• In your own words, describe what that brain structure or neurotransmitter is responsible for.
• In your own words, make the connection between that brain structure/neurotransmitter and your chosen disorder.

SAMPLE SUBMISSION

Hoarding Disorder is impacted by the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC). The ACC plays a role in both emotion and decision making. When individuals with Hoarding Disorder view possessions that don’t belong to them, there is little activity in their ACC; however, when they are shown their own possessions, their ACC becomes overactive. This explains why they have a difficult time making the decision to throw things away and become emotionally attached to even something like junk mail (National Institutes of Health, 2012)

National Institutes of Health (2012). Distinct Brain Activity in Hoarders.

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Remember to reference and cite any research used within your assignment. All references and citations must be in APA format.

My Draft :

Bipolar disorder is strongly impacted by the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for executive functioning, including decision making, impulse control, emotional regulation, and the ability to plan and think through consequences. It helps balance emotional responses by regulating activity from more reactive brain regions, such as the amygdala.

In individuals with bipolar disorder, the prefrontal cortex often shows reduced activity or disrupted functioning, particularly during mood episodes. This impaired regulation contributes to the extreme mood shifts seen in bipolar disorder. During manic episodes, decreased prefrontal control can lead to impulsivity, risky behavior, poor judgment, and elevated mood. During depressive episodes, altered prefrontal activity is associated with difficulty concentrating, slowed thinking, and impaired emotional regulation. The imbalance between the prefrontal cortex and emotional brain regions helps explain why individuals with bipolar disorder experience difficulty stabilizing mood and behavior across episodes (Phillips & Swartz, 2014).

References

Phillips, M. L., & Swartz, H. A. (2014). A critical appraisal of neuroimaging studies of bipolar disorder: Toward a new conceptualization of underlying neural circuitry and a road map for future research. American Journal of Psychiatry, 171(8), 829843.