Research has found that people with bipolar disorder suffer from an accelerated shrinking of their brain. Bipolar disorder currently affects approximately half a million people in the UK and is characterised by periods of depression and mania.

Studies were carried out four years apart and showed loss of brain tissue in the areas controlling co-ordination, memory and face recognition. MRI scans of patients both with bipolar disorder and without showed that everyone loses a small amount of tissue over time, however those who lost the most grey matter had the most episodes of mania and depression.

Dr Philip Timms, honorary senior lecturer in psychiatry, said the findings raised many questions; “The important one is are the brain changes causing the disorder or is the disorder - and its associated stress - causing the brain changes?”

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A new study conducted at St Thomas’ Hospital in London compared overnight visits to A&E before the 24-hour drinking law was introduced, and after. Results showed that the new law may have trebled alcohol-related admissions in inner city areas. Critics believe this cannot be applied to the whole of England and Wales, however the researchers claim their study was representative of inner city areas across the country.

The researchers did accept that one of the reasons for this increase could be due to the increased awareness among A&E doctors about alcohol related problems. A spokesman for Alcohol Concern said “It was always unlikely that a change in opening hours alone was going to move us to a continental style of drinking”.

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The Lancet medical journal has reported that many aspects of mental health care are neglected. The special report coincided with the passage of the Mental Health Bill last week and stated that many of the mental health wards in the UK are at best untherapeutic and at worst unsafe.

The journal reported that access to psychological treatments remained “pitiful”, even after a ruling by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) that cognitive behavioural therapy should be made available on the NHS.

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