Taking Bipolar Disorder into the Digital Age

Bipolar Disorder affects millions of Americans each year. The disease often causes individuals to make to poor decisions with little regard for consequences. A key characteristic is mood cycling.  Individuals cycle from mania, which is feeling ecstatic, very energetic, and irritable. Individuals can easily change moods form mania to depression and extreme pessimism. 

            Those diagnosed with BPD have a difficult time maintaining relationships, and also have trouble in their respective fields of work. We know now that BPD affects cognitive functioning, emotional processing, as well as processing speed (Weisenbach et al., 2014). This study helps illustrate statistically through various tests how “both aging and disease impact fine motor and visual memory skills, albeit independently… There is a double burden of aging and disease in BPD that impacts the reported ability of a person to perform daily physical tasks” (Weisenbach et al., 2014). Over time, these adults are able to better coupe with their disorder, some turn to antipsychotics or mood stabilizers.

            A team of researchers at the University of Michigan is leading the way to better manage Bipolar Disorder. Advances in smartphone technology has enabled us to use phones in new ways that change our lives. From social media to business management, phones have given us the power of a computer in the palm of our hand. The Michigan team of researchers created a new app called Priori. The team is currently on its second pilot study involving 30 patients with BPD. Priori runs constantly in the background on a phone, using its microphone to track and analyze voice data. Mania is characterized by rapid and loud speech, with erratic topic changes. Depression, on the other hand, will involve more isolation and long pauses in speech (Alba, 2014).

            One of the patients, Bryan Timlin, compares using this app to an insulin tester because the app simply reads what the body is doing. Since he is aware of the readings, he is more aware of how he is feeling. Another reason why he likes Priori is because it’s harder to cheat during clinical assessments. He could easily lie about how he is doing and or feeling, but not with the data Priori provides. The researchers plan to gather data over the next two years. The goal is to use the information gathered to warn patients and doctors about upcoming bipolar episodes. Adam Haim, chief of clinical trials operations and biostatistics at the National Institute of Mental Health, states that “all signs are pointing toward the integration of evidence-based technology into mental healthcare” (Alba, 2014). The future is fruitful when looking at new ways to monitor and treat patients with Bipolar Disorder. New advances in technology, like Priori, will help ease the difficulties that people with BPD have to go through.

Works Cited: 

Alba, D. (2014, November 20). How Smartphone Apps Can Treat Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia. Wired. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/2014/11/mental-health-apps/

Weisenbach, L. S., Marshall, D., Weldon, L. A., Ryan, A. K., Vederman, C. A., Kamali, M., . . . Langenecker, A. S. (2014). The double burden of age and disease on cognition and quality of life in bipolar disorder. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 29(9), 952-961.