A therapeutic tool focused on emotional awareness that increased activation and connectivity of an emotion-regulating centre in the brain has been discovered by researchers. The therapy may be useful in the long-term treatment and prevention of relapse in bipolar disorder (BD).

The findings of the study were published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging Patients with bipolar disorder have alternating extreme mood states characterised by mania, depression, and impaired social functioning. The complex mechanisms of BD make it difficult to treat, frequently necessitating a cocktail of medications and behavioural interventions that can take years for the provider and patient to successfully personalise.