Elsevier

Clinical Psychology Review

Volume 28, Issue 7, October 2008, Pages 1188-1205
Clinical Psychology Review

Dysregulation of the behavioral approach system (BAS) in bipolar spectrum disorders: Review of theory and evidence

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2008.04.004Get rights and content

Abstract

In recent years, a call for increased research on bipolar disorder has been answered with methodologically diverse studies exploring goal striving, life events, cognitive style, decision-making, and neurobiological abnormalities in bipolar disorder. In order to further this spurt of research and to systematize our understanding of bipolar disorder, an integrative perspective is warranted. The behavioral approach system (BAS) dysregulation theory, proposed by Richard Depue and colleagues, provides such an integrated model for understanding psychosocial and biological aspects of bipolar disorder. In this paper, we review studies on life events, cognitive style and other psychosocial and neurobiological factors to examine whether the BAS dysregulation theory is supported by existing data. Then, we draw on recent advances in the study of emotion and motivation, and propose an expansion of the BAS dysregulation model of bipolar spectrum disorders to foster further biopsychosocial investigations of bipolar disorder. This expanded model provides greater specificity in predictions, especially about the nature of BAS dysregulation, environmental factors and psychological processes (e.g., appraisal processes) featured in a causal chain culminating in bipolar symptoms. Finally, we discuss the implications of the expanded BAS model for the course of bipolar spectrum disorders.

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

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    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.

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