A Comparative Analysis of Traditional Pharmacotherapy and Neurotechnology-Based Interventions

Abstract

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a psychiatric disorder associated with periodic cyclical episodes of symptoms of mania and depression. The current therapeutic options to treat BD include the use of pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, neurostimulation and brain connectivity. Since the discovery of lithium’s antimanic properties in 1949, treatment of BD has focused on medication, and this remains the most common approach to date. However, despite more than 60 years of dedicated efforts, both lithium and other antipsychotic drugs have demonstrated limited efficacy and have often failed to alleviate residual symptoms and side-effects. Owing to certain limitations of pharmacotherapy, there is an urging clinical need to target underlying neurobiology of BD and improve the patient outcomes. The advancement in neurosciences and use of increasingly more sensitive brain imaging tools have provided an opportunity to develop a cutting-edge treatment strategy such as neuromodulation and neurofeedback. Due to their ability to modulate the neural circuits implicated in BD, and encourage neuroplasticity, these novel neurotechnology based treatment approaches may potentially yield superior results in the treatment of BD, leading to greater patient outcomes and reduction in relapse. However, further research is needed to formally establish its clinical benefits and address feasibility issues to facilitate its translation in the clinic. Neurotechnology-based approaches may well offer a new paradigm in BD treatment by combining medication, cognitive therapies and potentially crucial novel approaches that have the power to improve societal wellbeing and improve the quality of life of a highly underserved patient group.