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Psychiatry Research Aug 2022Sars-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus that can access the central nervous system, as indicated by the presence of the virus in patients' cerebrospinal fluid and the... (Review)
Review
Sars-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus that can access the central nervous system, as indicated by the presence of the virus in patients' cerebrospinal fluid and the occurrence of several neurological syndromes during and after COVID-19. Growing evidence indicates that Sars-CoV-2 can also trigger the acute onset of mood disorders or psychotic symptoms. COVID-19-related first episodes of mania, in subjects with no known history of bipolar disorder, have never been systematically analyzed. Thus, the present study assesses a potential link between the two conditions. This systematic review analyzes cases of first appearance of manic episodes associated with COVID-19. Clinical features, pharmacological therapies, and relationships with pre-existing medical conditions are also appraised. Medical records of twenty-three patients fulfilling the current DSM-5 criteria for manic episode were included. Manic episodes started, on average, after 12.71±6.65 days from the infection onset. Psychotic symptoms were frequently reported. 82.61% of patients exhibited delusions, whereas 39.13% of patients presented hallucinations. A large discrepancy in the diagnostic workups was observed. Mania represents an underestimated clinical presentation of COVID-19. Further studies should focus on the pathophysiological substrates of COVID-19-related mania and pursue appropriate and specific diagnostic and therapeutic workups.
Topics: Bipolar Disorder; COVID-19; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Humans; Mania; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 35716481
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114677 -
Noro Psikiyatri Arsivi 2021Life time psychiatric comorbidities of bipolar disorders are highly prevalent. Anxiety disorders, alcohol-substance use disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and... (Review)
Review
Life time psychiatric comorbidities of bipolar disorders are highly prevalent. Anxiety disorders, alcohol-substance use disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder are the most common comorbid psychiatric conditions in bipolar disorders. Psychiatric comorbidity of bipolar disorders is strongly associated with poor treatment response, higher recurrence of mood episodes, suicide attempts, rapid-cycling, worse general functioning and quality of life. Therefore, considering the huge impact of comorbidity on the bipolar disorder illness course, treatment is usually challenging. The primary aim of the treatment in psychiatric comorbidity of bipolar disorder should be mood stabilization and prevention of mood episodes. Then, first line treatment options recommended for the specific psychiatric disorders might be preferred for the treatment of bipolar disorder comorbidity. With this rationale, quetiapine can be listed as a first line treatment for anxiety disorders comorbidity in bipolar disorders while serotonergic antidepressants and olanzapine are recommended as second line options. For the treatment of alcohol-substance use disorders comorbidity, first line mood stabilizers such as valproate and lithium and new generation antipsychotic quetiapine seem to be the leading options. Serotonergic antidepressants for obsessive-compulsive disorder and stimulants for the attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders are the key treatment choices. However, both treatment agents might cause to manic switch and mood destabilization. Thus, clinicians should be aware of these complications when prescribing in bipolar disorders comorbidity.
PubMed: 34658634
DOI: 10.29399/npa.27615 -
European Psychiatry : the Journal of... Feb 2020Operational definitions of mania are based on expert consensus rather than empirical data. The aim of this study is to identify the key domains of mania, as well as the... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Operational definitions of mania are based on expert consensus rather than empirical data. The aim of this study is to identify the key domains of mania, as well as the relevance of the different signs and symptoms of this clinical construct.
METHODS
A review of latent factor models studies in manic patients was performed. Before extraction, a harmonization of signs and symptoms of mania and depression was performed in order to reduce the variability between individual studies.
RESULTS
We identified 12 studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria and comprising 3039 subjects. Hyperactivity was the clinical item that most likely appeared in the first factor, usually covariating with other core features of mania, such as increased speech, thought disorder, and elevated mood. Depressive-anxious features and irritability-aggressive behavior constituted two other salient dimensions of mania. Altered sleep was frequently an isolated factor, while psychosis appeared related to grandiosity, lack of insight and poor judgment.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results confirm the multidimensional nature of mania. Hyperactivity, increased speech, and thought disorder appear as core features of the clinical construct. The mood experience could be heterogeneous, depending on the co-occurrence of euphoric (elevated mood) and dysphoric (irritability and depressive mood) emotions of varying intensity. Results are also discussed regarding their relationship with other constitutive elements of bipolar disorder, such as mixed and depressive states.
Topics: Affect; Anxiety; Bipolar Disorder; Depression; Emotions; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Humans; Mania; Psychotic Disorders; Speech
PubMed: 32093802
DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2020.18 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Jan 2023Lithium is widely evidenced for its neuropsychiatric benefits. Advantages of 'sub-therapeutic' doses are increasingly being reported, which is apposite given enduring... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Lithium is widely evidenced for its neuropsychiatric benefits. Advantages of 'sub-therapeutic' doses are increasingly being reported, which is apposite given enduring concerns around adverse effects of 'therapeutic' doses. We aimed to synthesise all available evidence from interventional studies investigating low-dose lithium (LDL) across neuropsychiatric outcomes.
METHODS
Electronic databases were systematically searched to include studies where a group of adult humans were treated with LDL (∼serum level ≤0.6 mmol/L), where data describing a neuropsychiatric outcome were reported either before and after treatment, and/or between lithium and a comparator.
RESULTS
18 articles were examined and grouped according to outcome domain (cognition, depression, mania, and related constructs e.g., suicidality). Significant benefits (versus placebo) were identified for attenuating cognitive decline, and potentially as an adjunctive therapy for people with depression/mania. Across studies, LDL was reported to be safe.
CONCLUSIONS
Despite the paucity and heterogeneity of studies, LDL's apparent pro-cognitive effects and positive safety profile open promising avenues in the fields of neurodegeneration, and augmentation in affective disorders. We urge future examinations of LDL's potential to prevent cognitive/affective syndromes.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Lithium; Antipsychotic Agents; Mania; Mood Disorders
PubMed: 36436738
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104975 -
World Journal of Psychiatry May 2022The current understanding of major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) is plagued by a cacophony of controversies as evidenced by competing schools to... (Review)
Review
The current understanding of major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) is plagued by a cacophony of controversies as evidenced by competing schools to understand MDD/BD. The DSM/ICD taxonomies have cemented their status as the gold standard for diagnosing MDD/BD. The aim of this review is to discuss the false dogmas that reign in current MDD/BD research with respect to the new, data-driven, machine learning method to model psychiatric illness, namely nomothetic network psychiatry (NNP). This review discusses many false dogmas including: MDD/BD are mind-brain disorders that are best conceptualized using a bio-psycho-social model or mind-brain interactions; mood disorders due to medical disease are attributable to psychosocial stress or chemical imbalances; DSM/ICD are the gold standards to make the MDD/BD diagnosis; severity of illness should be measured using rating scales; clinical remission should be defined using threshold values on rating scale scores; existing diagnostic BD boundaries are too restrictive; and mood disorder spectra are the rule. In contrast, our NNP models show that MDD/BD are not mind-brain or psycho-social but systemic medical disorders; the DSM/ICD taxonomies are counterproductive; a shared core, namely the reoccurrence of illness (ROI), underpins the intertwined recurrence of depressive and manic episodes and suicidal behaviors; mood disorders should be ROI-defined; ROI mediates the effects of nitro-oxidative stress pathways and early lifetime trauma on the phenome of mood disorders; severity of illness and treatment response should be delineated using the NNP-derived causome, pathway, ROI and integrated phenome scores; and MDD and BD are the same illness.
PubMed: 35663296
DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v12.i5.651 -
International Journal of Molecular... Feb 2022Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe psychiatric illness with a poor prognosis and problematic, suboptimal, treatments. Treatments, borne of an understanding of the... (Review)
Review
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe psychiatric illness with a poor prognosis and problematic, suboptimal, treatments. Treatments, borne of an understanding of the pathoetiologic mechanisms, need to be developed in order to improve outcomes. Dysregulation of cationic homeostasis is the most reproducible aspect of BD pathophysiology. Correction of ionic balance is the universal mechanism of action of all mood stabilizing medications. Endogenous sodium pump modulators (collectively known as endogenous cardiac steroids, ECS) are steroids which are synthesized in and released from the adrenal gland and brain. These compounds, by activating or inhibiting Na, K-ATPase activity and activating intracellular signaling cascades, have numerous effects on cell survival, vascular tone homeostasis, inflammation, and neuronal activity. For the past twenty years we have addressed the hypothesis that the Na, K-ATPase-ECS system may be involved in the etiology of BD. This is a focused review that presents a comprehensive model pertaining to the role of ECS in the etiology of BD. We propose that alterations in ECS metabolism in the brain cause numerous biochemical changes that underlie brain dysfunction and mood symptoms. This is based on both animal models and translational human results. There are data that demonstrate that excess ECS induce abnormal mood and activity in animals, while a specific removal of ECS with antibodies normalizes mood. There are also data indicating that circulating levels of ECS are lower in manic individuals, and that patients with BD are unable to upregulate synthesis of ECS under conditions that increase their elaboration in non-psychiatric controls. There is strong evidence for the involvement of ion dysregulation and ECS function in bipolar illness. Additional research is required to fully characterize these abnormalities and define future clinical directions.
Topics: Animals; Bipolar Disorder; Brain; Down-Regulation; Humans; Ion Pumps; Signal Transduction; Steroids
PubMed: 35163766
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031846 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2024Problematic cannabis use is highly prevalent among people with mood disorders. This underscores the need to understand the effects of cannabis and cannabinoids in this...
BACKGROUND
Problematic cannabis use is highly prevalent among people with mood disorders. This underscores the need to understand the effects of cannabis and cannabinoids in this population, especially considering legalization of recreational cannabis use.
OBJECTIVES
We aimed to (1) systematically evaluate cross-sectional and longitudinal studies investigating the interplay between cannabis use, cannabis use disorder (CUD), and the occurrence of mood disorders and symptoms, with a focus on major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) and; (2) examine the effects of cannabis on the prognosis and treatment outcomes of MDD and BD.
METHODS
Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted an extensive search for English-language studies investigating the potential impact of cannabis on the development and prognosis of mood disorders published from inception through November 2023, using EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and MEDLINE databases.
RESULTS
Our literature search identified 3,262 studies, with 78 meeting inclusion criteria. We found that cannabis use is associated with increased depressive and manic symptoms in the general population in addition to an elevated likelihood of developing MDD and BD. Furthermore, we observed that cannabis use is linked to an unfavorable prognosis in both MDD or BD.
DISCUSSION
Our findings suggest that cannabis use may negatively influence the development, course, and prognosis of MDD and BD. Future well-designed studies, considering type, amount, and frequency of cannabis use while addressing confounding factors, are imperative for a comprehensive understanding of this relationship.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023481634.
Topics: Humans; Depressive Disorder, Major; Mood Disorders; Bipolar Disorder; Marijuana Abuse; Cross-Sectional Studies; Marijuana Use; Longitudinal Studies; Prognosis
PubMed: 38655516
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1346207 -
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Jan 2022A growing number of studies support a bidirectional relationship between inflammation and bipolar disorders. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors have recently... (Review)
Review
A growing number of studies support a bidirectional relationship between inflammation and bipolar disorders. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors have recently attracted interest as potential therapeutic compounds for treating depressive symptoms, but the risk for triggering mood switches in patients with or without bipolar disorders remains controversial. Thus, we conducted a systematic review to study the anti-TNF-α medication-induced manic or hypomanic episodes. PubMed, Scopus, Medline, and Embase databases were screened for a comprehensive literature search from inception until November 2020, using The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Out of the initial 75 references, the screening resulted in the inclusion of four case reports (each describing one patient) and a cohort study (in which 40 patients out of 7600-0.53% - experienced elated mood episodes after infliximab administration). Of these 44 patients, 97.7% experienced a manic episode and 2.3% hypomania. 93.2% of patients had no history of psychiatric disorder or psychotropic treatment. Only 6.8% had a history of psychiatric disorders with the affective spectrum (4.6% dysthymia and 2.3% bipolar disorder). The time of onset of manic or hypomanic symptoms varied across TNF-α inhibitors with an early onset for Infliximab and a later onset for Adalimumab and Etanercept. These findings suggest that medications targeting the TNF-α pathway may trigger a manic episode in patients with or without affective disorders. However, prospective studies are needed to evaluate the relative risk of such side effects and identify the population susceptible to secondary mania.
Topics: Cohort Studies; Humans; Infliximab; Mania; Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
PubMed: 34590391
DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13302 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2020Lithium has been the treatment of choice for patients with bipolar disorder (BD) for nearly 70 years. It is recommended by all relevant guidelines as a first-line... (Review)
Review
Lithium has been the treatment of choice for patients with bipolar disorder (BD) for nearly 70 years. It is recommended by all relevant guidelines as a first-line treatment for maintenance therapy. In this review, we outline the current state of evidence for lithium in the treatment of BD over the lifespan. First, we summarize the evidence on efficacy in general, from relapse prevention to acute anti-manic treatment and its role in treating mood episodes with mixed features and bipolar depression. As patients are often treated for many years and different aspects have to be considered in different phases of life, we discuss the particularities of lithium in the treatment of paediatric BD, in older aged individuals and in pregnant women. Lastly, we discuss the evidence on lithium's proposed suicide-preventive effects, the dangers of rapid discontinuation and lithium's adverse effects, particularly with regard to long-term treatment.
PubMed: 32457664
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00377 -
Psychiatria Polska Dec 2020The paper presents the current state of knowledge on lithium treatment. The history of the therapeutic application of lithium began in 1859 and its introduction to... (Review)
Review
The paper presents the current state of knowledge on lithium treatment. The history of the therapeutic application of lithium began in 1859 and its introduction to modern psychiatry took place 90 years later. Since the early 1960s, lithium became a precursor of mood-stabilizing drugs and nowadays is the drug of choice for the prevention of manic and depressive recurrences in mood disorders. It remains a valuable drug for the treatment of acute episodes of mania and depression, especially for the augmentation of antidepressant drugs in treatment resistant depression. The factors of prophylactic efficacy of lithium in the context of the so-called excellent lithium responders and the efficacy in affective episodes were discussed. Among mood-stabilizing drugs, lithium exerts the biggest effect on preventing suicidal behaviors. It also shows antiviral (mainly against herpes viruses) and immunomodulatory activity. The evidence has recently been gathered on neuroprotective and ‛antidementia' properties of lithium, which prompted its use in neurodegenerative disorders. The biochemical mechanism of lithium is associated mainly with the inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 and an effect on intracellular signaling. The recommendations for managing lithium-induced adverse effects both in the early and late period of treatment as well as for lithium use in pregnancy and perinatal period were given. The necessity of overcoming negative perceptions of lithium was pointed out to increase the number of possible beneficiaries of lithium treatment. Both introduction of lithium into modern psychiatry and its therapeutic effects have been reflected in literature and art.
Topics: Antipsychotic Agents; Bipolar Disorder; Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant; Humans; Lithium; Lithium Compounds; Mood Disorders
PubMed: 33740796
DOI: 10.12740/PP/128340