[bdeaner]

Evidence of Brain Chemistry Abnormalities in Bipolar Disorder

Your problem is that you're not reading the original research study. You rely upon some journalist to interpret the study -- who obviously doesn't know how to critically evaluate a study's validity.

First, the findings are correlational. Correlation does not imply causation. One of the first things you learn in an introductory stats class.. If you are implying a causal relationship between these brain differences and the symptoms of bipolar disorder, you've made an incorrect inference, and should study up on hypothetico-deductive logic.

Second, the sample size in this study is very small. Only 16 patients are compared to 16 non-patients. That's a woefully inadequate sample size for making any reasonable generalizations to the population of interest here.

But most importantly, and the huge gaping hole of a flaw in this study is this: ALL THE BIPOLAR PATIENTS WERE BEING MAINTAINED ON MOOD-STABILIZING DRUGS AND A BUNCH OF THEM WERE ON ANTI-PSYCHOTIC MEDICATION. Gee, do ya think that might account for the differences in their brain functions, in comparison to non-patient comparison who are NOT on these drugs? TALK ABOUT A HUGE FRIGGIN' CONFOUNDING VARIABLE!!! This is the most pointless study I've read in a long time. You can conclude NOTHING from this, and the study probably shouldn't have been published, because people like you are going around referencing it like it means something when it doesn't mean jack. Good lord.

See for yourself. Read the study, dude:

http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/157/10/1619

[Tidbit]

Your problem I stopped reading for content right there. However,scanning your reply I notice that later in your post you are shouting at me in bolded text, which I consider to be the poorest of cyber manners. One might be tempted to conclude that YOUR PROBLEM IS THAT YOU ARE RUDE!

And taking a discussion on the web a tad too seriously, I might add, dude.