Objectives: 
Explore the relationship of symptoms, mood episodes and course of the disease in women with bipolar disorder (BD) associated with reproductive cycle events, particularly during menopause.
Background: 
Reproductive cycle events like menstrual cycle, pregnancy/postnatal period and menopause may impact the course of the ilness for women with BD. Times of reproductive hormonal transition are periods prone to increased risk of mood episodes. Every women with BD is expected to or has experienced menopause. Given the substancial societal burden for this population detecting and detailing clinical features in this time of risk is critical.
Materials and Methods: 
Non-systematic review of the literature published between 2009 and 2019 using PubMed database, with the search terms: “menopause” and “bipolar disorder”. The articles found were selected by the authors according their scientific relevance for the present aim.
Results and Conclusions: 
Studies report that around twenty percent of women with BD are at increased risk of mood episodes during menopause. Mood elevation is reported less frequently than depression. Women who experienced postnatal episodes were more likely to experience mood symptoms menopausally. Midlife women with major depression and symptomatic menopausal transition had an increased risk of subsequent BD compared to those with major depression alone.
 There is a scarcity of studies and remains largely under-explored the impact of menopause on BD. Reproductive cycle event-related worsening of mood was associated with a more severe lifetime course of the ilness. Further work is needed to raise awareness over this period of possible relapse and exacerbation of symptoms, crucial for tailored interventions in this population.

04 - MENOPAUSE – A PUZZLING REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE EVENT IN BIPOLAR DISORDER