People with bipolar disorder 'are wired for risk'

A roulette game played while undergoing a brain scan has shown that people with bipolar disorder are "wired for risk," scientists have claimed.

People with bipolar disorder appear to be dominated by the brain's "pleasure centre" that drives us to seek out and pursue rewards, a study suggests.

The brain area, called the nucleus accumbens, was more strongly activated in people with bipolar disorder than other volunteers.

Bipolar disorder, previously known as "manic depression", is marked by unpredictable and extreme mood swings.