Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsConnectionRiskTreatment and ManagementDementia Prevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Connection
Risk
Treatment and Management
Dementia Prevention
There is an association between bipolar disorder and dementia. If you have bipolar disorder, your risk of dementia is higher than the risk of dementia among the general population—but the exact percent increase in risk is not known.
According to one study that included more than 37,000 individuals with bipolar disorder, 6.6% of those with bipolar disorder and 4 % in the reference population developed dementia during the mean follow-up of 13 years.
This difference is not substantial, and having bipolar disorder does not mean that you will definitely develop dementia. In fact, even with this increased risk, there are many things you can do to lower your risk of dementia if you are living with bipolar disorder.
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Connection Between Bipolar Disorder and Dementia
Bipolar disorderis a mood disorder that causes episodes of depression and episodes of mania (a state of abnormally elevated and excitable mood).
Depression symptoms include:
Mania symptoms include:
Several diseases can cause dementia due to a degenerative process in the brain that affects thinking and memory. Alzheimer’s disease,vascular dementia,frontotemporal dementia, and Lewy body disease (or Lewy body dementia) are the most common types of dementia.
Dementia symptoms include:
Bipolar Disorder, Dementia, and AgeBipolar disorder starts to cause symptoms when people are in their teens, 20s, or 30s. If you have bipolar disorder, you would likely have a diagnosis during early adulthood.Your bipolar symptoms can stabilize, improve, or worsen over the years.Dementia starts during later adulthood, usually past age 65, and continues to worsen over the years.
Bipolar Disorder, Dementia, and Age
Bipolar disorder starts to cause symptoms when people are in their teens, 20s, or 30s. If you have bipolar disorder, you would likely have a diagnosis during early adulthood.Your bipolar symptoms can stabilize, improve, or worsen over the years.Dementia starts during later adulthood, usually past age 65, and continues to worsen over the years.
Bipolar disorder starts to cause symptoms when people are in their teens, 20s, or 30s. If you have bipolar disorder, you would likely have a diagnosis during early adulthood.Your bipolar symptoms can stabilize, improve, or worsen over the years.
Dementia starts during later adulthood, usually past age 65, and continues to worsen over the years.
Lifestyle factors, genetics, underlying diseases, and some overlapping symptoms can all contribute to the association between bipolar disorder and dementia.
Specifically,Alzheimer’s diseaseandLewy body diseaseare the types of dementia that may occur at a higher rate among people with bipolar disorder, as follows:
Additionally,Parkinson’s disease, a movement disorder, is also more common among people with bipolar disorder than it is among people who do not have bipolar disorder.Parkinson’s disease has some similarities to Lewy body dementia.
Overlapping Symptoms
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder. Episodes of depression and mania or hypomania (less intense than mania) can cycle with unpredictable timing.
Some symptoms of bipolar disorder can also occur as symptoms of dementia:
Risk Evaluation
If you’re living with bipolar disorder, you could be at a higher risk for dementia if you also have underlying medical conditions that can increase the risk of dementia.
Medical problems, including high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and stroke, are more prevalent among people with bipolar disorder. These conditions also contribute to dementia, especially vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Bipolar disorder and dementia may share genetic links—some genes that can predispose to bipolar disorder may also predispose to dementia. Genetic changes that have been identified in CACNA1C, GABBR2, SCN2A, CTSH, MSRA, and SH3PXD2A genes can contribute to the risk of dementia and bipolar disorder.
Treatment and Management With Comorbidities
If you have bipolar disorder and dementia, you may need medication, lifestyle adjustments, therapy, and help with self-care.
Bipolar Disorder Treatments
Lithiumis among the most common medications for bipolar disorder, and if you have bipolar disorder, your psychiatrist may prescribe this for you. You might have a lower risk of dementia if you take lithium for bipolar disorder.Often, antidepressant medications can increase symptoms of mania in people with bipolar disorder.
While living with bipolar disorder, it’s important to be aware of its symptoms and try to maintain regular sleeping and eating patterns, as well as avoid impulsive or harmful behaviors during episodes of mania.
This Antipsychotic Drug Can Now Be Used to Treat Agitation in Alzheimer’s Patients
Dementia Treatments
If you develop dementia, you might take medication that’s intended to slow neurodegeneration. Neurodegeneration is the shrinking and death of brain cells, and it’s a major aspect of dementia.
Treatments prescribed to slow progression of dementiainclude:
You might also need treatment for your symptoms, such as medication to increase your appetite or dietary supplements to increase your calorie intake.
SundowningIf you or a loved one is living with dementia, you should be aware ofsundowning—which is confusion and associated symptoms at night, such as:AgitationFearNot sleeping at nightWandering and getting lostSome symptoms of mania in bipolar disorder overlap with symptoms of sundowning. An essential difference is that episodes of bipolar mania cause symptoms at any time of the day and usually last for weeks or longer, while sundowning occurs in the evening hours.
Sundowning
If you or a loved one is living with dementia, you should be aware ofsundowning—which is confusion and associated symptoms at night, such as:AgitationFearNot sleeping at nightWandering and getting lostSome symptoms of mania in bipolar disorder overlap with symptoms of sundowning. An essential difference is that episodes of bipolar mania cause symptoms at any time of the day and usually last for weeks or longer, while sundowning occurs in the evening hours.
If you or a loved one is living with dementia, you should be aware ofsundowning—which is confusion and associated symptoms at night, such as:
Some symptoms of mania in bipolar disorder overlap with symptoms of sundowning. An essential difference is that episodes of bipolar mania cause symptoms at any time of the day and usually last for weeks or longer, while sundowning occurs in the evening hours.
Bipolar Diagnosis and Dementia Prevention
Living with any psychiatric disorder, including a mood disorder, can increase your risk of medical conditions. The reason for the increased risk is not completely known but is multifactorial. There is a possible overlap of underlying causes, such as genetics or a history of adverse life experiences.
Additionally, living with mood disorder, such as bipolar disorder, can make it hard for you to take care of your health, which can increase the risk of health problems that could lead to dementia.
Lowering Your Risk
Managing bipolar disorder can reduce your risk of other illnesses, including dementia. If you have bipolar disorder, getting regular health checkups and preventive care can help reduce your likelihood of experiencing physical illnesses that contribute to dementia—such as hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, diabetes, sleep disorders, and more.
Several studies have demonstrated that the use of lithium, a medication that’s common for managing bipolar disorder, can reduce the risk of developing dementia if you have bipolar disorder.
Summary
You might have an increased risk of developing dementia if you have bipolar disorder. Genetic factors and lifestyle and health issues can contribute to the shared risk. You and your mental health team can work together to manage symptoms of your bipolar disorder with medication, therapy, and self-care. Taking care of your bipolar disorder and your overall health can reduce your risk of developing dementia.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nielsen JL, Kaltoft K, Wium-Andersen IK, Wium-Andersen MK, Osler M.Association of early- and late-life bipolar disorder with incident dementia. A Danish cohort study.J Affect Disord.2024;367:367-373. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2024.09.015Beunders AJM, Orhan M, Dols A.Older age bipolar disorder.Curr Opin Psychiatry.2023;36(5):397-404. doi:10.1097/YCO.0000000000000883Hedges DW, Chase M, Farrer TJ, Gale SD.Psychiatric disease as a potential risk factor for dementia: a narrative review.Brain Sci. 2024;14(7):722. doi:10.3390/brainsci14070722Hirakawa H, Terao T.The genetic association between bipolar disorder and dementia: a qualitative review.Front Psychiatry. 2024;15:1414776. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1414776Nakamura S, Sugawara H, Asada R, Hatanaka A, Hori H.Bipolar disorder and Lewy body dementia: case report and literature review.Front Psychiatry.2024;15:1409027. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1409027Velosa J, Delgado A, Finger E, Berk M, Kapczinski F, de Azevedo Cardoso T.Risk of dementia in bipolar disorder and the interplay of lithium: a systematic review and meta-analyses.Acta Psychiatr Scand.2020;141(6):510-521. doi:10.1111/acps.13153Kang J, Lee H, Park J, et al.Comorbid physical health outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Asian J Psychiatr.2024;99:104138. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104138
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nielsen JL, Kaltoft K, Wium-Andersen IK, Wium-Andersen MK, Osler M.Association of early- and late-life bipolar disorder with incident dementia. A Danish cohort study.J Affect Disord.2024;367:367-373. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2024.09.015Beunders AJM, Orhan M, Dols A.Older age bipolar disorder.Curr Opin Psychiatry.2023;36(5):397-404. doi:10.1097/YCO.0000000000000883Hedges DW, Chase M, Farrer TJ, Gale SD.Psychiatric disease as a potential risk factor for dementia: a narrative review.Brain Sci. 2024;14(7):722. doi:10.3390/brainsci14070722Hirakawa H, Terao T.The genetic association between bipolar disorder and dementia: a qualitative review.Front Psychiatry. 2024;15:1414776. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1414776Nakamura S, Sugawara H, Asada R, Hatanaka A, Hori H.Bipolar disorder and Lewy body dementia: case report and literature review.Front Psychiatry.2024;15:1409027. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1409027Velosa J, Delgado A, Finger E, Berk M, Kapczinski F, de Azevedo Cardoso T.Risk of dementia in bipolar disorder and the interplay of lithium: a systematic review and meta-analyses.Acta Psychiatr Scand.2020;141(6):510-521. doi:10.1111/acps.13153Kang J, Lee H, Park J, et al.Comorbid physical health outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Asian J Psychiatr.2024;99:104138. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104138
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Nielsen JL, Kaltoft K, Wium-Andersen IK, Wium-Andersen MK, Osler M.Association of early- and late-life bipolar disorder with incident dementia. A Danish cohort study.J Affect Disord.2024;367:367-373. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2024.09.015Beunders AJM, Orhan M, Dols A.Older age bipolar disorder.Curr Opin Psychiatry.2023;36(5):397-404. doi:10.1097/YCO.0000000000000883Hedges DW, Chase M, Farrer TJ, Gale SD.Psychiatric disease as a potential risk factor for dementia: a narrative review.Brain Sci. 2024;14(7):722. doi:10.3390/brainsci14070722Hirakawa H, Terao T.The genetic association between bipolar disorder and dementia: a qualitative review.Front Psychiatry. 2024;15:1414776. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1414776Nakamura S, Sugawara H, Asada R, Hatanaka A, Hori H.Bipolar disorder and Lewy body dementia: case report and literature review.Front Psychiatry.2024;15:1409027. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1409027Velosa J, Delgado A, Finger E, Berk M, Kapczinski F, de Azevedo Cardoso T.Risk of dementia in bipolar disorder and the interplay of lithium: a systematic review and meta-analyses.Acta Psychiatr Scand.2020;141(6):510-521. doi:10.1111/acps.13153Kang J, Lee H, Park J, et al.Comorbid physical health outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Asian J Psychiatr.2024;99:104138. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104138
Nielsen JL, Kaltoft K, Wium-Andersen IK, Wium-Andersen MK, Osler M.Association of early- and late-life bipolar disorder with incident dementia. A Danish cohort study.J Affect Disord.2024;367:367-373. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2024.09.015
Beunders AJM, Orhan M, Dols A.Older age bipolar disorder.Curr Opin Psychiatry.2023;36(5):397-404. doi:10.1097/YCO.0000000000000883
Hedges DW, Chase M, Farrer TJ, Gale SD.Psychiatric disease as a potential risk factor for dementia: a narrative review.Brain Sci. 2024;14(7):722. doi:10.3390/brainsci14070722
Hirakawa H, Terao T.The genetic association between bipolar disorder and dementia: a qualitative review.Front Psychiatry. 2024;15:1414776. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1414776
Nakamura S, Sugawara H, Asada R, Hatanaka A, Hori H.Bipolar disorder and Lewy body dementia: case report and literature review.Front Psychiatry.2024;15:1409027. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1409027
Velosa J, Delgado A, Finger E, Berk M, Kapczinski F, de Azevedo Cardoso T.Risk of dementia in bipolar disorder and the interplay of lithium: a systematic review and meta-analyses.Acta Psychiatr Scand.2020;141(6):510-521. doi:10.1111/acps.13153
Kang J, Lee H, Park J, et al.Comorbid physical health outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Asian J Psychiatr.2024;99:104138. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104138
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