Dysregulation of the behavioral approach system (BAS) in bipolar spectrum disorders: Review of theory and evidence☆
Section snippets
Early formulation of the BAS dysregulation theory of bipolar spectrum disorders
Depue, Fowles, and others provided groundwork for a BAS dysregulation theory. In this section, we integrate these initial views into a succinct theoretical statement. Early formulations of the BAS dysregulation theory posited that hypomanic/manic and depressive symptoms are reflections of an overly active and inactive BAS, respectively (e.g., Depue et al., 1987, Depue and Iacono, 1989). Vulnerability to bipolar spectrum disorders lies in a dysregulated BAS (e.g., Depue et al., 1987). In brief,
Current state of affairs in research on bipolar disorder
The BAS dysregulation model of bipolar disorder provides researchers with an integrative model to guide methodologically diverse studies towards more efficient exploration of bipolar disorder phenomena. Next, we review seemingly disparate studies on life events, cognitive style and other psychosocial factors, and neurobiological abnormalities in bipolar disorder. Although the present review is not exhaustive, it is distinctive in its integration of psychosocial and neurobiological data (for
Why is expansion of the BAS dysregulation model needed?
As can be seen from the review above, there has been a proliferation of data supporting the BAS dysregulation model of bipolar disorder in recent years. This is an exciting development for the field of bipolar disorder research because the BAS dysregulation model provides an integrative biopsychosocial perspective. However, for this research progress to continue, the BAS dysregulation theory needs to be refined and expanded. Most notably, the model needs a more explicit causal chain for
Expansion of the BAS dysregulation theory of bipolar spectrum disorders
Consequently, the expanded BAS dysregulation theory incorporates contemporary advances in motivation, affect, and bipolar disorder to further specify and build on the pivotal ideas of early formulations. The expanded model retains the core idea that hypomanic/manic and depressive symptoms reflect extreme BAS activity and inactivity states, respectively. However, this core hypothesis is expanded by specifying a causal chain of processes leading to extreme BAS activity and inactivity states
References (147)
- et al.
Cyclothymic temperamental disorders
Psychiatric Clinics of North America
(1979) - et al.
Regional electroencephalographic asymmetries in bipolar seasonal affective disorder before and after exposure to bright light
Biological Psychiatry
(1993) - et al.
The psychosocial context of bipolar disorder: Environmental, cognitive, and developmental risk factors
Clinical Psychology Review
(2005) - et al.
An MRI study of temporal lobe structures in men with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia
Biological Psychiatry
(2000) - et al.
Mortality of patients with mood disorders: Follow-up over 34–38 years
Journal of Affective Disorders
(2002) - et al.
The density of pyramidal and nonpyramidal neurons in anterior cingulate cortex of schizophrenia and bipolar subjects
Biological Psychiatry
(2001) Pleasures of the brain
Brain and Cognition
(2003)- et al.
What is the role of dopamine in reward: hedonic impact, reward learning, or incentive salience?
Brain Research Review
(1998) - et al.
Increased anterior cingulate and caudate activity in bipolar mania
Biological Psychiatry
(2000) - et al.
Low glial numbers in the amygdala of major depressive disorder
Biological Psychiatry
(2002)
MRI investigation of temporal lobe structures in bipolar patients
Journal of Psychiatric Research
Effects of atypical antipsychotic drug treatment on amphetamine-induced striatal dopamine release in patients with psychotic disorders
Neuropsychopharmacology
The bipolar spectrum: A clinical reality in search of diagnostic criteria and an assessment methodology
Journal of Affective Disorders
Two-dimensional assessment of cytoarchitecture in the anterior cingulate cortex in major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia: evidence for deceased neuronal somal size and increased neuronal density
Biological Psychiatry
The density and spatial distribution of GABAergic neurons, labelled using calcium binding proteins, in the anterior cingulate cortex in major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia
Biological Psychiatry
Regional brain function, emotion and disorders of emotion
Current Opinion in Neurobiology
The functional neuroanatomy of emotion and affective style
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
Application of a behavioral theory of motivation to the concepts of anxiety and impulsivity
Journal of Research in Personality
A controlled trial of daily left prefrontal cortex TMS for treating depression
Biological Psychiatry
Anger and the behavioral approach system
Personality and Individual Differences
Life events and relapse in bipolar affective disorder
Journal of Affective Disorders
Mania and dysregulation in goal pursuit: A review
Clinical Psychology Review
The topographical features of EEGs in patients with affective disorders
Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology
Increased motor activity and recurrent manic episodes: Predictors of rapid relapse in remitted bipolar disorder patients after lithium discontinuation
Biological Psychiatry
Leisure activities, alcohol, and nicotine consumption in people with a hypomanic/hyperthymic temperament
Personality and Individual Differences
Lithium prophylaxis of recurrent bipolar affective disorder: Long-term outcome and its psychosocial correlates
Journal of Affective Disorders
Dysfunctional assumptions in bipolar disorder
Journal of Affective Disorders
The distribution and morphology of prefrontal cortex pyramidal neurons identified using anti-neurofilament antibodies SMI32, N200 and NP7. Normative data and a comparison in subjects with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression
Journal of Psychiatric Research
Researching the pathophysiology of pediatric bipolar disorder
Biological Psychiatry
Regional prefrontal gray and white matter abnormalities in bipolar disorder
Biological Psychiatry
Can personality traits predict increases in manic and depressive symptoms?
Journal of Affective Disorders
Regional cerebral glucose metabolic abnormalities in bipolar II depression
Biological Psychiatry
The nature and treatment of depression in bipolar disorder: A review and implications for future psychological interventions
Clinical Psychology Review
Cognitive vulnerability–stress models of depression in a self-regulatory and psychobiological context
Hopelessness depression: A theory-based subtype of depression
Psychological Review
The clinical significance of the “soft” bipolar spectrum
Psychiatric Annals
Cyclothymic disorder: Validating criteria for inclusion in the bipolar affective group
American Journal of Psychiatry
Psychosocial risk factors for bipolar disorder: Current and early environment and cognitive styles
Behavioral Approach System (BAS) sensitivity and bipolar spectrum disorders: A retrospective and concurrent behavioral high-risk design
Motivation and Emotion
Cognitive vulnerability to unipolar and bipolar mood disorders
Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology
Behavioral Approach System and Behavioral Inhibition System sensitivities: Prospective prediction of bipolar mood episodes
Bipolar Disorders
Cognitive styles and life events in subsyndromal unipolar and bipolar disorders: Stability and prospective prediction of depressive and hypomanic mood swings
Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly
Amygdala enlargement in bipolar disorder and hippocampal reduction in schizophrenia: An MRI study demonstrating neuroanatomic specificity
Archives of General Psychiatry
Brain SPECT imaging of amphetamine-induced dopamine release in euthymic bipolar disorder patients
American Journal of Psychiatry
Creativity and mental illness: Prevalence rates in writers and their first-degree relatives
American Journal of Psychiatry
A plea for integrity of the bipolar disorder concept
Bipolar Disorders
Catecholamines
Negative affect deriving from the behavioral approach system
Emotion
Behavioral inhibition, behavioral activation, and affective responses to impending reward and punishment: The BIS/BAS scales
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Cited by (170)
Shared and Distinct Neurobiological Bases of Bipolar Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents: A Comparative Meta-analysis of Structural Abnormalities
2024, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent PsychiatryReward sensitivity and social rhythms during goal-striving: An ecological momentary assessment investigation of bipolar spectrum disorders
2024, Journal of Affective DisordersNeural abnormalities of reward processing in adolescents with bipolar disorders: An ERP study
2023, Biological PsychologyTriggers for acute mood episodes in bipolar disorder: A systematic review
2023, Journal of Psychiatric ResearchMultidimensional and computational theory of mood
2022, Encephale
- ☆
Snežana Urošević and Lyn Y. Abramson, Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Eddie Harmon-Jones, Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University; Lauren B. Alloy, Department of Psychology, Temple University. This manuscript was supported by National Institute of Mental Health Grants MH 52662 to Lyn Y. Abramson and MH 52617 to Lauren B. Alloy. Thanks to Richard J. Davidson for comments on earlier versions of this manuscript.