Increasing evidence suggests that bipolar disorder (BPD) is associated with regional brain
volumetric reductions, accompanied by cellular atrophy and/or loss. Considerable data
suggest that the protypical drugs for BPD—lithium and valproate—when administered in
therapeutically relevant paradigms regulate neurotrophic signaling cascades. Notably, brain-
derived neurotrophic factor, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway, the glycogen
synthase kinase-3-mediated pathway and Bcl-2 are major targets for mood stabilizers …