Bipolar Disorders: Basic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications

This book is a virtual encyclopedia of the biological aspects of bipolar disorders. The editors, Jair C. Soares, M.D., and Samuel Gershon, M.D., have assembled the current clinical and basic research on bipolar disorders from a wide range of biomedical disciplines and from leading investigators in the field.

Drs. Soares and Gershon are well qualified to put together this text. Dr. Gershon, professor of psychiatry at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, has published extensively on affective disorders and is a recognized leader in the field. His early seminal work on lithium helped pave the way for our understanding of mood stabilizers. Dr. Soares, assistant professor of psychiatry and director of the neurochemical brain imaging laboratory at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, has authored numerous papers on the pathophysiology, neuroanatomy, and signal transduction dysfunction associated with affective disorders.

This volume, the 15th in a series on medical psychiatry, includes 26 chapters, each authored by a group of experts in the field. As is often the case with multiauthor texts, the flow between chapters is minimal, and a variety of writing styles are encountered. The book reads somewhat like a supplement to a high-end journal, but with greater depth and breadth.

The topics covered include genetics, neuroimaging, signal transduction abnormalities, postmortem brain studies, possible viral causes, interactions between biology and psychosocial factors, and childhood-onset and late-life bipolar disorders. A chapter by Michael E. Thase, M.D., addresses the modulation of biological factors by psychotherapeutic interventions. A chapter by Robert M. Post, M.D., and colleagues on sensitization and kindling is particularly good.

Throughout the text the authors discuss not only the current research but also its present and future therapeutic implications. We believe the book would benefit from an additional chapter reviewing recent advances in psychotherapeutic interventions.

Bipolar Disorders: Basic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications should be in the reference library of all who are interested in enhancing their understanding of the biological aspects of bipolar disorders. This well-written, authoritative text highlights the significant advances taking place in our understanding of the etiology and treatment of the bipolar disorders. We highly recommend it for seasoned clinicians, researchers in the field, psychiatric residents, and mental health workers.

Dr. Baron is professor and chair and Dr. Sosland is a psychiatric resident in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia.