Yes, pupils can get bigger (dilate) during manic episodes in bipolar disorder, often due to increased arousal, adrenaline, and norepinephrine, leading to "sparkling" or wider-looking eyes, but these "bipolar eyes" are anecdotal and not a diagnostic tool, though they can reflect internal hyperactivation. Dilated pupils, wider eyes, or even increased light sensitivity can occur, sometimes alongside psychotic symptoms or general excitement, reflecting the heightened state of the nervous system, but these aren't reliable indicators for diagnosis.
Studies have suggested that those with a bipolar disorder may, during manic/hypomanic states, evidence sparkling eyes, have dilated pupils and, albeit rarely, evidence iris colour changes, but while during depressive episodes, they may have 'less light in the eyes' and report or experience perceptual dimming.
Increased norepinephrine levels in manic/hypomanic states causing sympathetic discharge would result in pupillary dilation, causing the eyes to dilate. The dilatation would result in increased contrast with the white sclera and make the eyes appear darker.
During manic episodes, heightened activation of the nervous system affects attention, emotion, and arousal. This results in wide, fixed gazes, dilated pupils, and involuntary eye movements that mirror internal hyperactivation. Eye changes are a visible reflection of an underlying neurobiological state.
Symptoms of a manic episode
Manic and hypomanic episodes include three or more of these symptoms: Being much more active, energetic or agitated than usual. Feeling a distorted sense of well-being or too self-confident. Needing much less sleep than usual.
The first red flag of bipolar disorder often appears as significant changes in sleep patterns, mood instability (irritability/euphoria), increased energy/agitation, and rapid thoughts/speech, frequently mistaken for unipolar depression or normal moodiness, with sleep disruption (insomnia or oversleeping) and heightened irritability being very common early signs, notes Better Mental Health.
Five key signs of bipolar disorder involve extreme mood shifts, including manic symptoms like inflated energy, reduced need for sleep, racing thoughts, impulsivity (spending, risky behavior), and irritability, alongside depressive symptoms such as profound sadness, loss of interest, fatigue, significant sleep/appetite changes, and suicidal thoughts, all lasting for extended periods and impacting daily life.
On a background of minor dysmorphology of the upper face, maxilla, midface and periorbital regions, bipolar disorder was characterised primarily by the following dysmorphologies: (a) retrusion and shortening of the premaxilla, nose, philtrum, lips and mouth (the frontonasal prominences), with (b) some protrusion and ...
At the outset, bipolar symptoms are commonly mistaken for ADHD, depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and, in its more severe manifestations, as schizophrenia.
The symptoms of mania include elevated mood (either euphoric or irritable), flight of ideas, pressure of speech, increased energy, decreased "need" and desire for sleep, and hyperactivity.
"Bipolar eyes" is a non-medical term used to describe changes in a person's eyes or gaze during a manic or hypomanic episode. These include changes in pupil size, the "brightness" or color of the eyes, and the way that a person may look or stare at people or objects.
Warning signs of psychosis include hallucinations (seeing/hearing things not there), delusions (strong false beliefs), confused thinking, disorganized speech, social withdrawal, changes in mood/emotion, sleep/appetite issues, and difficulty with daily tasks, often signaled by a sudden drop in performance at school or work. These symptoms reflect a break from reality, impacting perception, thought, and behavior, and warrant early help.
Signs that a loved one may be bipolar
Periods of increased energy or irritability. Exaggerated sense of self. Poor decision-making, such as shopping sprees or sexual flings.
The Big Five personality comprises independent traits of neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness (McCrae and John 1992) and forms the basis of several personality inventories (Costa and McCrae 1992).
Age at onset of type-I bipolar disorder (BPD) typically averages 12-24 years, is older among patients with type-II BPD, and oldest in unipolar major depressive disorder 1,2,3. Reported onset ages probably vary by ascertainment methods, and possibly among different countries and cultures 1,2,3,4,5,6.
Bipolar eyes describe changes in a person's eyes during manic or hypomanic episodes. Pupils may dilate due to higher levels of norepinephrine during these episodes. Some experts think eye changes might not always happen in people with bipolar disorder.
Schizophrenia changes how a person thinks and behaves.
The first signs can be hard to identify as they often develop during the teenage years. Symptoms such as becoming socially withdrawn and unresponsive or changes in sleeping patterns can be mistaken for an adolescent "phase".
Research question 1 asked whether a relationship between narcissistic traits and pupil dilation can be observed. However, such conclusions could not be drawn due to the limited sample size. Interestingly, one could observe a difference in the high and low conditions, as reflected in the descriptive statistics.
How many hours should a bipolar person sleep? People should try to sleep at least 7 hours per night, regardless of whether they have a condition such as bipolar disorder.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder
Bipolar Disorder: Helping Someone During a Manic Episode