Kindling Theory is the idea that one episode of unstable
mood paves the way for more frequent and more severe episodes in the future.
Kindling theory originally was related to
epilepsy
and the idea that seizures got more severe and frequent over time, and then
observation seemed to indicate it was also a
feature of
Bipolar.
Features
associated with the delayed initiation of mood stabilizers at illness onset in
bipolar disorder.Goldberg JF, Ernst CL. discusses how delaying treament for
Bipolar symptoms can mean a worse outcome for treament. However, not everyone is
sure that the
Kindling Model is acurate. At this time, the only way I see to prove or
disprove this fascinating theory is a large (very large) and very long study
that follows a group of Bipolars for many years to see the outcome.
How to prevent kindling? Proper and timely
diagnosis and appropriate treatment with medications that are effective is the
only way to prevent kindling.
More articles on Kindling:
