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Updated: May 21, 2026
04:42
Developing a Rat Model for Bipolar Disorder
Published on: May 2, 2025
Mitochondrial modulators for bipolar disorder: a pathophysiologically informed paradigm for new drug development
Andrew A Nierenberg1, Christine Kansky, Brian P Brennan
1Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. anierenberg@partners.org
The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
|June 20, 2012
Summary
Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in bipolar disorder. Mitochondrial modulators like NAC and ALCAR show promise for treating bipolar disorder and preventing relapse.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Bipolar disorder is characterized by frequent relapses, necessitating improved continuation and maintenance treatments.
- Recent research highlights mitochondrial dysregulation as a key factor in bipolar disorder's pathophysiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence for mitochondrial dysregulation in bipolar disorder.
- To explore selected mitochondrial modulators (MMs) as potential therapeutic agents for bipolar disorder.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on mitochondrial dysfunction in bipolar disorder.
- Identification of potential MMs for improving bipolar disorder course and preventing mood episodes.
Main Results:
- MM treatments target mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and altered brain energy metabolism in bipolar disorder.
- Several tolerable MMs include N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR), S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ10), alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), creatine monohydrate (CM), and melatonin.
- Specific metabolic pathways and potential combinations of MMs are discussed.
Conclusions:
- Mitochondrial dysfunction is a significant component of bipolar disorder pathophysiology.
- Clinical trials investigating individual MMs and their combinations are warranted.
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