Bipolar disorder, also known as manic–depressive illness, is a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood (mania), which often alternate with depressive episodes (Leibenluft, 2011). Unlike other major psychiatric disorders, severe cognitive or social deficits are not defining features of bipolar disorder. To the contrary, cognitive function may fluctuate in parallel with mood episodes, and periods of “hypomania” can be associated with enhanced function (Judd et al., 2005).
