Yet more research that shows that mania can be seen in the eyes!
I wrote an earlier post on the same subject but here is another study that shows the same conclusion. http://bipolarhallucidations.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-eyes-have-it.html?m=1
Bipolar & the Eyes: What Does the Research Reveal?
5 COMMENTS
VIEWS
bp Magazine columnist and blogger Julie A. Fast discovered the connection between changes in her eyes and mania, then brought this finding to the attention of the bipolar community. What if our eyes hold the secret to diagnosis and effective treatment—or reveal an impending manic or depressive episode, allowing for early intervention? While there is anecdotal evidence that the color and shape of our eyes offer clues, related scientific studies are underway.
Eye Movement
Analysis of eye movements (EM) by eye tracking has been carried out for several decades to investigate mood regulation. More recently, researchers at the University of Franche-Comté, Besançon, France, used sophisticated eye-tracking technologies in order to differentiate bipolar depression from unipolar depression. While more research is necessary, this analysis could be a promising behavioral tool for diagnosis as well as for the assessment of medications’ effects.
Measuring Eye-Blink Rate
Dopamine, the neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers, can be measured by our spontaneous eye-blink rate—how rapidly or slowly we blink. To expand their research, scientists have looked to adults with bipolar as a study group, since evidence suggests a central role for dopamine dysfunction in people with bipolar. Some studies found that people exhibit higher blink rates when anticipating a reward. Researchers are also studying ways in which measuring eye-blink rate could potentially be relevant for predicting the course of mania.
Mapping Mania in the Eyes
Sometimes, it can be tricky to identify whether or not a person is in a state of mania. In an effort to uncover methods of mania detection, researchers at the Southern Methodist University (SMU) created a website and curated a collection of eye images from individuals with bipolar. Images were labeled as depressed, manic, or stable. Using technology running on algorithms, they were able to produce models detecting euphoric mania.
Retinal Photography
Researchers at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital are hoping that images of the tiny blood vessels of the eye’s retina may lead to new approaches to diagnosing, monitoring, and treating mood disorders such as bipolar. “Blood-vessel problems may be one of the core causes of bipolar disorder and [retinal photography] is a very inexpensive, non-invasive way of understanding this link,” says Benjamin Goldstein, MD, director of research in Sunnybrook’s Department of Psychiatry.
Predicting the Risk
Studies have shown that retinal abnormalities were found in people diagnosed with bipolar. According to a study in Biological Psychiatry, an eye test called an electroretinography (ERG), was used to examine the retina of young adults at a high genetic risk for bipolar or schizophrenia. Participants had an average age of 20 years and had a parent diagnosed with either brain-based illness. Results revealed that in the high genetic risk group, the ability of light to activate the rod photoreceptor was “significantly reduced” as compared to the control group. This suggests that such a test may serve as an early biomarker for the risk of developing either brain-based disorder.
Sources:
Journal: Biological Psychiatry
Southern Methodist University Data Science Review
Sunnybrook Hospital
Journal: Frontiers in Psychology
Journal: Clinical Psychological Science
Inspired by Julie A. Fast’s blog post, “The Eyes Have It: Another Way to See Bipolar Disorder Mania”
No comments:
Post a Comment