Two Australian patients with bipolar disorder were treated with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Yes, that means transplanting poop! Their symptoms improved so much that they were able to stop their medications. Now studies with larger numbers of patients and control subjects are beginning to try and determine if changing the gut microbiome is a viable treatment option for those with bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder used to be called manic-depressive illness or manic depression. It is a mental illness that features unusual and drastic shifts in mood, energy, activity levels and concentration, which can affect the ability to carry out normal day-to-day tasks. There are three major types of bipolar disorder: Type I, Type II and Cyclothymic Disorder or Cyclothymia. Bipolar disorder is usually diagnosed in late adolescence or early adulthood, or sometimes after pregnancy. The illness requires a lifetime of treatment with a combination of medication and psychotherapy to manage the symptoms.

Medical Discovery News is a weekly radio and print broadcast highlighting medical and scientific breakthroughs hosted by professor emeritus, Norbert Herzog, and professor, David Niesel, biomedical scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Learn more at www.medicaldiscoverynews.com.

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