8. Drug Treatment of Mania.

The term "bipolar disorder'' originally referred to manic-depressive illnesses characterized by both manic and depressive episodes. In recent years, the concept of bipolar disorder has been broadened to include subtypes with similar clinical courses, phenomenology, family histories and treatment responses. The diagnosis of mania is made on the basis of clinical history plus a mental state examination. Key features of mania include elevated, expansive or irritable mood accompanied by hyperactivity, pressure of speech, flight of ideas, grandiosity and distractibility. Such episodes may alternate with severe depression, hence the term "bipolar illness", which is clinically similar to that seen in patients with "unipolar depression".