This academic supplement to CNS Spectrums high-lights the impact of the broader bipolar spectrum as a considerable public health concern, the side effects that must be considered in a risk/benefit analysis of effective pharmacologic treatments of bipolar disorder, and the state of the art of psychosocial interventions utilized to manage the disorder.

One important development in the conceptualization of bipolar disorder is that a common underlying endophenotype may mediate a range of presentations manifesting as the broader bipolar spectrum. This includes variants of bipolar disorder, such as bipolar II, cyclothymia, and mixed states; disorders characterized by affective instability, such as cluster B personality disorders; and disorders characterized by impulsivity associated with affective instability, such as impulse-control disorders. Since there may be various phenotypic expressions of a common underlying endophenotype, this may also help to explain the high rate of comorbidity found in bipolar disorder.