Learning Objects for Exam II

Bipolar Disorder

A mental health condition characterized by extreme mood swings, including emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression).

Mania

A period of abnormally elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, often accompanied by increased activity or energy.

Hypomania

A milder form of mania characterized by a less severe mood elevation that does not require hospitalization.

Depression

A mental health disorder marked by persistently low mood, loss of interest in activities, and an array of emotional and physical problems.

Bipolar I Disorder

Characterized by at least one manic episode that may be preceded or followed by hypomanic or major depressive episodes.

Bipolar II Disorder

Characterized by a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes but without full-blown manic episodes.

Schizoaffective Disorder

A mental health condition combining features of schizophrenia and mood disorder symptoms, such as depression or mania.

Ventricle Enlargement

An increase in the size of the brain's ventricles, often associated with various psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder.

Hyperintensity Signal

Areas appearing brighter on an MRI image, often indicating potential cell death or loss of brain matter.

Amygdala

An almond-shaped cluster of nuclei in the brain's temporal lobe, integral to emotional processing and memory formation.

Parahippocampal Gyrus

A part of the brain involved in memory encoding and retrieval, linked to the emotional components of memory.

Meta Data

Statistical data collected for analysis, confirming relationships or correlations within a specific context, such as emotional recognition in bipolar disorder.

Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC)

A region of the brain involved in regulating emotions and mood stability, often affected in bipolar disorder.

Comorbidity

The presence of one or more additional conditions co-occurring with a primary condition.

Epigenetics

The study of how environmental factors influence gene expression without altering the DNA sequence.

Methylation

A biochemical process that can silence gene expression, often impacting the development of various disorders.

BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor)

A protein that supports neuron survival, growth, and differentiation; linked to mood regulation and bipolar disorder.

Glutamate

The most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, important for synaptic plasticity and implicated in mood disorders.

Antipsychotics

Medications used to manage psychosis, but may have side effects like dyskinesia when used long-term.

Lithium

A medication used as a mood stabilizer in bipolar disorder that also helps regulate glutamate.

Cumulative Lifetime Graph

A graphical representation showing the accumulation of risk or prevalence of a condition over a participant's life span.

Neurotoxicity

Damage to the brain or peripheral nervous system caused by exposure to natural or synthetic toxic substances.

Dyskinesia

Involuntary movements that may result from long-term use of antipsychotic medications.

Age Correlation with Bipolar Disorder

A relationship indicating that younger individuals, especially in their early 20s, are at higher risk for developing bipolar disorder.

Standard Error (SE)

A measure of the statistical accuracy of an estimate, lower values indicating more precise estimates.