Bipolar disorder in the digital age: new tools for the same illness

Abstract

“Nothing is more difficult than to ascertain the length of time that a maniacal patient can exist without sleep.”—Dr. Sutherland (Br J Psychiatry 7(37):1–19, 1861). Dr. Sutherland’s patient was suffering from an acute manic episode, which today is called bipolar illness. 150 years later, we continue to struggle with the same challenges in ascertaining accurate symptoms from patients. In era of new digital tools, the quantified self-movement, and precision medicine, we can ask the question: Can we advance understanding and treatment for bipolar illness beyond asking the same questions as in 1861?