My daughter had infantile spasms as a baby, brain stem based, serious, debilitating seizures. Normally causes severe retardation and physical problems. My daughter developed normally against the odds, with some delays that she managed to catch up.

She was then diagnosed with bipolar disoder. Severe again. Rapid cycling, psychotic manias.

She was then diagnosed with an extemely rare form of migraine called basilar migraines.. again the brain stem is implicated. These migraines are more neurological than vascular. She loses conciousness, she is dizzy, she has confusion, she looks drunk, she looks like she's had a mini stroke. She loses her vision, she loses her hearing. They have led to one or two seizures. These migraines are really frightening. They have been known to lead to coma.

So, how does the brain stem fit in with bipolar? I cannot believe that these things are not ALL related. Is there something in the brain stem that regulated neurotramsmitters?