Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 18, 2026

Developing a Rat Model for Bipolar Disorder
Published on: May 2, 2025
Systematic Review of Epigenetic Effects of Pharmacological Agents for Bipolar Disorders
Laura E Lockwood1, Nagy A Youssef2
1Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 7th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA. llockwood@uabmc.edu.
Abstract:
Epigenetic effects of medications are an evolving field of medicine, and can change the landscape of drug development. The aim of this paper is to systematically review the literature of the relationship between common medications used for treatment of bipolar disorders and epigenetic modifications. MedLine/PubMed searches were performed based on pre-specified inclusion criteria from inception to November 2017. Six animal and human studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies examined the epigenetic changes in the main classes of medications that are used in bipolar disorders, namely mood stabilizers and antipsychotics. Although these initial studies have small to moderate sample size, they generally suggest an evolving and accumulating evidence of epigenetic changes that are associated with several of the medications that are used in bipolar I and II disorders. In this manuscript, we describe the specific epigenetic changes that are associated with the medications studied. Of the studies reviewed, five of the six studies revealed epigenetic changes associated with the use of mood stabilizers or antipsychotic medications. This review contributes to future research directions. Further understanding of the complexities of the epigenome and the untangling of the effects and contributions of disease states versus medications is crucial for the future of drug design and the development of new therapeutics. Epigenetic therapeutics hold great promise for complex disease treatment and personalized interventions, including psychiatric diseases.
More Related Videos
07:05Behavioral Disturbances: An Innovative Approach to Monitor the Modulatory Effects of a Nutraceutical Diet
Published on: January 3, 2017
07:58Behavioral and Network Pharmacology-Based Analyses for the Traditional Mongolian Medicine Zadi-5 in a Rat Model of Depression
Published on: February 24, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Mania and Antimanic Drugs: Overview
Bipolar Disorder
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Metabolism: Overview
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy
Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu