The historical roots of the "bipolar spectrum": Did Aristotle anticipate Kraepelin's broad concept of manic-depression?

The construct of bipolar disorder, or bipolar spectrum disorders, has been a source of controversy in recent years. Some have argued that subtle variants within the putative bipolar spectrum are merely the creation of overzealous clinicians, perhaps encouraged by various special interest groups. In reality, the concept of a bipolar spectrum may be inferred from numerous classical sources, dating back to the 19th century and even into antiquity. The Greek philosopher Aristotle, usually considered the author of a work called Problemata, appears to have recognized some form of the bipolar spectrum, more than two millennia ago. This recognition continues throughout the 19th century, and into our own time. Such transcultural findings across many centuries have implications for the "objective" nature of psychiatric disease. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.