title: Rapid cycling bipolar disorder: historical overview and focus on emerging treatments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Rapid cycling bipolar disorder presents a significant challenge with respect to treatment. The cyclical nature of bipolar disorder has been well recognised for over a century, and following Dunner and Fieve's landmark paper in 1974, investigators have increasingly turned their attention to issues such as the definition of rapid cycling, demographic characterisation, treatment response and pharmacologic intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature search using Medline was performed, and selected articles which consider important developments in the definition, demographics and course of rapid cycling are reviewed. In addition, a systematic review of the literature published during the past 5 years (1999-2004) relating to treatment was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Relevant articles are reviewed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review highlights the important developments in our understanding of rapid cycling bipolar disorder, and focuses particularly on the recent literature regarding treatment.
authors.affiliation: School of Neurology, Neurobiology and Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. paul.mackin@ncl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mackin
authors.forename: Allan H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D016651:Lithium Carbonate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014227:Triazines / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D014227:Triazines; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D000077213:Lamotrigine