Mood Disorders

Mood disorders include

• Depression
• Mania
• Bipolar Disorder (Mania and Depression)

SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION:

• Becomes sad, irritable or cranky
• Has changes in sleep and appetite
• Appears tired and less energetic
• Loses interest and pleasure in activities
• Withdraws from family and friends
• Feels guilty, worthless, or hopeless
• Things about death or suicide
• Has behavioral problems

SYMPTOMS OF MANIA:

• Becomes overly irritable; or abnormally happy
• Needs less sleep
• Becomes unusually energetic and/or hyperactive
• Thinks and talks faster
• Has difficulty concentrating
• Behaves in a risky or dangerous way
• Sexually disinhibited

Both adults and children are at risk of developing a mood disorder. Children and adolescents often have different presentations/symptoms of a disorder. While a bipolar adult may have mood episodes that last for weeks or months at a time, children often cycle moods multiple times in one day. Children and adolescents with bipolar disorder are frequently misdiagnosed or incorrectly treated as ADHD because of the rapid episodes and the symptoms that overlap across disorders.

Although there is no single known cause of mood disorders, there are a number of factors that make people more vulnerable them. People who have family members with mood disorders may be at a higher risk to develop them. People may also be at higher risk to develop mood disorders when they experience significant stresses in their lives.

While all people act differently in stressful situations, it's important to remember that mood disorder symptoms are reactions that are not normal and require treatment.

The researchers at the Center for Cognitive Medicine study bipolar, depression and psychosis in children and adults. Psychosis (seeing and hearing things that are not there) is a common symptom experienced by people with bipolar disorder and other psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia.

Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: The P-TRACT Lab, part of the Pediatric Mood Disorders Program, conducts brain imaging and neurocognitive studies as well as clinical trials to better explore the early risk factors, identification, treatment and long-term effects of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder on children and adolescents. Because of the prevalence of ADHD in the bipolar patients, ADHD children and adolescents are also recruited for P-TRACT Lab studies. Information on pediatric bipolar disorder, our current trials and studies, and contact information for the lab is located at the lab's website (linked above).

Depression : The center recruits individuals who are both medicated and unmedicated for the treatment of depression. Our studies look to learn about the effects of medication treatment as well as how the treatments work, information on how the brain is functioning during depression, and differences in emotional processing in different patient groups. Details of our studies in procedures, eligibility, risks and benefits can be found via the link at the bottom of the page.

The First Episode Program at the University of Illinois Hospital combines the best of all available strategies according to up-to-date research to diagnose and treat patients suffering from first episode of psychosis. We strive to determine the appropriate diagnosis, provide psychological and medication treatments tailored to meet each patient's individual needs, and provide the support and necessary education for family members.

Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: Medication Algorithm

Research Participants