The Molecule of More

Bipolar refers to two mood extremes (like bicycle refers to two wheels). 
People with bipolar disorder experience episodes of depression when 

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THE MOLECULE OF MORE
their mood is abnormally low and episodes of mania when it’s too high. 
The latter is associated with high levels of dopamine, which shouldn’t 
be surprising given the symptoms of the manic state: high energy, 
euphoric mood, racing thoughts that quickly jump from one topic to 
another, an abundance of activity in pursuit of many goals at once, and 
excessive involvement in high-risk, pleasure-seeking activities such as 
unrestrained spending and promiscuous sexual behavior.
Many people with bipolar disorder are disabled by the illness. They 
are unable to hold down a job or maintain healthy relationships. Oth-
ers, typically those receiving medical treatment, are able to live normal 
lives while taking mood stabilizing medication. A few live extraordinary 
lives. Worldwide, about 2.4 percent of the population has bipolar disor-
der, but it is more common among certain groups. Researchers in Ice-
land found that people who worked in creative fields such as dancing, 
acting, music, and writing were about 25 percent more likely to have 
bipolar disorder compared to those with noncreative jobs. In another 
study, scientists from the University of Glasgow followed over 1,800 
individuals from the age of eight to their early twenties. They found 
that higher IQ scores at age eight predicted greater risk of developing 
bipolar disorder by the age of 23. Smarter brains had a greater risk of
developing a dopaminergic mental illness compared to ordinary ones.
Many famous, creative people have revealed that they live with 
bipolar disorder. Among them are Francis Ford Coppola, Ray Davies, 
Patty Duke, Carrie Fisher, Mel Gibson, Ernest Hemingway, Abbie 
Hoffman, Patrick Kennedy, Ada Lovelace, Marilyn Monroe, Sinéad 
O’Connor, Lou Reed, Frank Sinatra, Britney Spears, Ted Turner, 
Jean-Claude Van Damme, Virginia Woolf, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. 
There are also many noteworthy people from the past who, based on 
historical documents, are thought to have had bipolar disorder. They 
include Charles Dickens, Florence Nightingale, Friedrich Nietzsche, 
and Edgar Allan Poe.
One might conceptualize the extraordinary brain as being simi-
lar to a high-performance sports car. It’s capable of doing incredible 
things, but it breaks down easily. Dopamine drives intelligence, creativ-
ity, and hard work, but it can also make people behave in bizarre ways.

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PROGRESS
Excessive dopamine activity isn’t the only problem in bipolar mania, 
but it plays an important role. As noted, it’s not caused by a highly 
active DRD4 receptor allele. Instead, scientists believe that it’s caused by 
a problem with something called the dopamine transporter (Figure 5).