Book excerpt: After the original proposals of staging for psychotic disorders developed by McGorry and colleagues, a few systems have been put forward specifically for people with bipolar disorder. There is now consistent evidence that, at least for a significant portion of people with this disease, clinical course and outcome are not as benign as initially described. The evidence thus far points to relevant differences between early and late stages of bipolar disorders in the clinical course of illness, neurobiology and systemic pathology. These differences all suggest that staging is a viable addition to clinical care in bipolar disorder. Neuroprogression and Staging in Bipolar Disorder provides a comprehensive summary of the current state of the evidence regarding the use of staging systems in bipolar disorder. Edited by the leading researchers in the field, the book systematically covers the theoretical basis for staging, comparisons between different proposals, neurobiological underpinnings, the current evidence-base, limitations and future directions, and clinical implications and recommendations for practice. The book provides a solid and in-depth outline and thus to influence research and practice in the field of bipolar disorder.