Bipolar Disorder: What You Always Wanted To Know

Dr. Abigail Ortiz, a psychiatrist at The Royal, uses physics and mathematics to help understand bipolar disorder.

In her Conversations at The Royal presentation she discusses what bipolar disorder is (and isn’t), the treatments available, and how to support a loved one with the condition. Then, she turns to her research.

One of Dr. Ortiz’s research studies examines the relationship between changes in heart rate and mood episodes across a person’s life.

For the study, she has patients wear a special shirt that records their heart rate every minute of the day, in different phases of their illness.

This provides thousands of data points, to analyze for insight into bipolar disorder. Dr. Ortiz’ research also looks at mood regulation and using mathematics to develop more precise diagnostic tools.