L11: Mood Instability

Question 1

What percentage of people relapses within a year of recovery from a mood episode

Answer 1

50-60%

Question 2

Bipolar disorder affects around … of the population

Answer 2

2-4%

Question 3

T/F: Both bipolar 1 and 2 affect men more than women

Answer 3

False, Bipolar 1 affects men and women equally and Bipolar 2 affects women more than men

Question 4

T/F: Bipolar usually starts later in life

Answer 4

False, it has a young age of onset; 60% of cases start before the age of 21

Question 5

What is the definition of mood instability

Answer 5

Rapid oscillations of intense affect, with a difficulty in regulating these oscillations or their behavioral consequences

Question 6

What are 3 main things that are experienced by people with mood instability

Answer 6

• affect lability
• mood swings
• emotional dysregulation

Question 7

Mental disorders have higher/lower levels of affective lability and higher/lower affect control than those without mental disorders

Answer 7

Higher, lower

Question 8

What are 2 examples of an abnormality in cognitive functioning associated with mood instability

Answer 8

• Biases in processing emotional information; negative memory biases and greater instability in depressive/manic symptoms
• Attentional dysfunction

Question 9

What was the main finding from the paper by Vannucci et al., (the experiment we had to read for the lecture)

Answer 9

There was not flattening/natural control of affect in high MDQ (mood disorder questionnaire) individuals in the elated condition compared to low MDQ individuals

Question 10

What are imagery-related abnormalities in BD

Answer 10

• higher levels of intrusive future imagery
• more vivid imagery of future negative events
• suicidal flashforwards are more preoccupying and compelling
• positive flashforwards are more vivid, exciting and pleasurable

Question 11

What are emotion dysregulation areas that are dysfunctional in BD/BPD

Answer 11

• connectivity between amygdala and ventromedial PFC is increased
• connectivity between amygdala and ACC is reduced
• more ACC activity during emotion processing tasks
• reduced vertrolateral PFC activity during emotion regulation tasks

Question 12

What is one example of an imagery-related abnormality in BD

Answer 12

Higher levels of intrusive future imagery correlated with levels of anxiety/depression