An observational study of inflammation in the central nervous system in patients with bipolar disorder.

Objectives: The potential influence of infections and immunological changes on the aetiology and pathogenesis of bipolar disorder (BD) has been discussed. Our aim was to detect intrathecal specific antibody synthesis against the neurotropic infectious agents that have previously been linked to BD.

Methods: Paired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples from 40 patients with BD were analysed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect the concentration of antibodies against the following neurotropic infectious pathogens: Toxoplasma gondii (T.

Impaired functioning in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder--HSV-1 as a predictor.

There is a possible association between infectious agents and psychiatric disorders. Previous studies in the US provided evidence for cognitive impairment correlated with Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection. For a replication study in Europe we chosed individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder to analyse the correlation with HSV-1 infection.

The Hypomania Checklist-32 and the Mood Disorder Questionnaire as screening tools--going beyond samples of purely mood-disordered patients.

Background: Bipolar disorders are often not recognized. Several screening tools have been developed, e.g.

Cognitive functioning in euthymic bipolar I and bipolar II patients.

Objective: There is growing evidence of cognitive impairment as a trait factor in bipolar disorder. The generalizability of this finding is limited because previous studies have either focussed exclusively on bipolar I disorder or have analysed mixed patient groups. Thus, it is still largely unknown whether bipolar II patients perform differently from bipolar I patients on measures of cognitive functioning.

Identification and characterisation of the dopamine receptor II from the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis (CfDopRII).

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent a protein family with a wide range of functions. Approximately 30% of human drug targets are GPCRs, illustrating their pharmaceutical relevance. In contrast, the knowledge about invertebrate GPCRs is limited and is mainly restricted to model organisms like Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans.