Bipolar depression: Clinical phenotype and course of illness -- The history of bipolar disorders -- The clinical diagnosis of bipolar depression -- Course and outcome of bipolar disorder — focusing on depressive aspects -- Suicide and bipolar disorder -- Bipolar depression: Neurobiology -- The genetic basis of bipolar disorder -- Understanding the neurobiology of bipolar depression -- Non-pharmacological treatments and chronobiological aspects of bipolar disorder: implications for novel therapeutics -- Neuroimaging studies of bipolar depression: therapeutic implications -- Acute and long-term treatment of bipolar disorder -- Pharmacological treatment of acute bipolar depression -- Pharmacological treatment of the maintenance phase of bipolar depression: focus on relapse prevention studies and the impact of design on generalizability -- Non-pharmacological somatic treatments for bipolar depression -- Potential novel treatments for bipolar depression -- Treatment of bipolar disorder in special populations -- Late-onset bipolar disorder -- Treatment of childhood-onset bipolar disorder -- Treatment of bipolar disorder during and after pregnancy -- Conclusion.

Although our knowledge of mood disorders in general is expanding steadily, comparatively little is known about bipolar depression in particular. This book brings together leading clinicians and preclinical and clinical researchers to offer the most up-to-date information about the diagnosis, treatment, and research surrounding bipolar depression. Early chapters provide valuable diagnostic information, and review the course, outcome, and genetics of this highly heritable condition, allowing clinicians to distinguish between the various mood disorders. The book offers a thorough and unique overview of the neurobiology of the disorder, including what is known from recent neuroimaging work. Several chapters delineate the treatment of bipolar depression in special populations such as children and pregnant women, and another chapter addresses the particular issues of suicide, focusing on the need for assessment during both acute and maintenance treatment with interventions appropriate to a patient's symptoms and history. Finally, the book covers acute and long-term treatment strategies for bipolar depression, including both traditional and novel therapeutics for the disorder, as well as non-pharmacological treatments. This book has assembled a widely respected group of preclinical and clinical researchers who bring their expertise to bear upon this illness. It offers researchers, clinicians, and postgraduate students key insights into this devastating disorder.