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Current Neuropharmacology Apr 2017Episode duration, recurrence rates, and time spent in manic and depressive phases of bipolar disorder (BD) is not well defined for subtypes of the disorder. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Episode duration, recurrence rates, and time spent in manic and depressive phases of bipolar disorder (BD) is not well defined for subtypes of the disorder.
METHODS
We reviewed the course, timing, and duration of episodes of mania and depression among 1130 clinically treated DSM-IV-TR BD patients of various types, and compared duration and rates as well as total proportion of time in depressive versus manic episodes during 16.7 average years at risk.
RESULTS
As expected, episodes of depressions were much longer than manias, but episode-duration did not differ among BD diagnostic types: I, II, with mainly mixed-episodes (BD-Mx), or with psychotic features (BD-P). Recurrence rates (episodes/year) and proportion of time in depression and their ratios to mania were highest in BD-II and BD-Mx subjects, with more manias/year in psychotic and BD-I subjects. In most BD-subtypes, except with psychotic features, there was more time in depressive than manic morbidity, owing mainly to longer depressive than manic episodes. The proportion of time in depression was highest among those who followed a predominant DMI course, whereas total time in mania was greatest in BD with psychotic features and BD-I. and with an MDI course.
CONCLUSIONS
Subtypes of BD patients differed little in episode-duration, which was consistently much longer for depression. The findings underscore the limited control of bipolar depression with available treatments.
Topics: Bipolar Disorder; Depression; History, 18th Century; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; Humans
PubMed: 28503106
DOI: 10.2174/1570159X14666160606210811 -
Annals of Internal Medicine Jul 2022Bipolar disorder (BD) affects approximately 2% of U.S. adults and is the most costly mental health condition for commercial insurers nationwide. Rates of BD are elevated... (Review)
Review
Bipolar disorder (BD) affects approximately 2% of U.S. adults and is the most costly mental health condition for commercial insurers nationwide. Rates of BD are elevated among persons with depression, anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders-conditions frequently seen by primary care clinicians. In addition, antidepressants can precipitate manic or hypomanic symptoms or rapid cycling in persons with undiagnosed BD. Thus, screening in these high-risk groups is indicated. Effective treatments exist, and many can be safely and effectively administered by primary care clinicians.
Topics: Adult; Antidepressive Agents; Anxiety Disorders; Bipolar Disorder; Humans; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 35816713
DOI: 10.7326/AITC202207190 -
Trends in Neurosciences Jan 2018Bipolar disorder (BD) is a leading cause of global disability. Its biological basis is unknown, and its treatment unsatisfactory. Here, we review two recent areas of... (Review)
Review
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a leading cause of global disability. Its biological basis is unknown, and its treatment unsatisfactory. Here, we review two recent areas of progress. First, the discovery of risk genes and their implications, with a focus on voltage-gated calcium channels as part of the disease process and as a drug target. Second, facilitated by new technologies, it is increasingly apparent that the bipolar phenotype is more complex and nuanced than simply one of recurring manic and depressive episodes. One such feature is persistent mood instability, and efforts are underway to understand its mechanisms and its therapeutic potential. BD illustrates how psychiatry is being transformed by contemporary neuroscience, genomics, and digital approaches.
Topics: Animals; Bipolar Disorder; Humans
PubMed: 29169634
DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2017.10.006 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Mar 2021Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder characterized by extreme shifts in mood, high suicide rate, sleep problems, and dysfunction of psychological traits like... (Review)
Review
Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder characterized by extreme shifts in mood, high suicide rate, sleep problems, and dysfunction of psychological traits like self-esteem (feeling inferior when depressed and superior when manic). Bipolar disorder is rare among populations that have not adopted contemporary Western lifestyles, which supports the hypothesis that bipolar disorder results from a mismatch between Homo sapiens's evolutionary and current environments. Recent studies have connected bipolar disorder with low-grade inflammation, the malfunctioning of the internal clock, and the resulting sleep disturbances. Stress is often a triggering factor for mania and sleep problems, but stress also causes low-grade inflammation. Since inflammation desynchronizes the internal clock, chronic stress and inflammation are the primary biological mechanisms behind bipolar disorder. Chronic stress and inflammation are driven by contemporary Western lifestyles, including stressful social environments, unhealthy dietary patterns, limited physical activity, and obesity. The treatment of bipolar disorder should focus on reducing stress, stress sensitivity, and inflammation by lifestyle changes rather than just temporarily alleviating symptoms with psychopharmacological interventions.
Topics: Affect; Biological Evolution; Bipolar Disorder; Humans; Sleep Wake Disorders; Suicide
PubMed: 33421542
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.12.031 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2019Characterized by the switch of manic and depressive phases, bipolar disorder was described as early as the fifth century BC. Nevertheless up to date, the underlying... (Review)
Review
Characterized by the switch of manic and depressive phases, bipolar disorder was described as early as the fifth century BC. Nevertheless up to date, the underlying neurobiology is still largely unclear, assuming a multifactor genesis with both biological-genetic and psychosocial factors. Significant process has been achieved in recent years in researching the causes of bipolar disorder with modern molecular biological (e.g., genetic and epigenetic studies) and imaging techniques (e.g., positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)). In this chapter we will first summarize our recent knowledge on the etiology of bipolar disorder. We then discuss how several factors observed to contribute to bipolar disorder in human patients can be manipulated to generate rodent models for bipolar disorder. Finally, we will give an overview on behavioral test that can be used to assess bipolar-disorder-like behavior in rodents.
Topics: Animals; Behavior Rating Scale; Bipolar Disorder; Disease Management; Disease Models, Animal; Disease Susceptibility; Environment; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Rodentia
PubMed: 31273693
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9554-7_4 -
The American Journal of Psychiatry May 2018Bipolar disorder is a recurrent disorder that affects more than 1% of the world population and usually has its onset during youth. Its chronic course is associated with... (Review)
Review
Bipolar disorder is a recurrent disorder that affects more than 1% of the world population and usually has its onset during youth. Its chronic course is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, making bipolar disorder one of the main causes of disability among young and working-age people. The implementation of early intervention strategies may help to change the outcome of the illness and avert potentially irreversible harm to patients with bipolar disorder, as early phases may be more responsive to treatment and may need less aggressive therapies. Early intervention in bipolar disorder is gaining momentum. Current evidence emerging from longitudinal studies indicates that parental early-onset bipolar disorder is the most consistent risk factor for bipolar disorder. Longitudinal studies also indicate that a full-blown manic episode is often preceded by a variety of prodromal symptoms, particularly subsyndromal manic symptoms, therefore supporting the existence of an at-risk state in bipolar disorder that could be targeted through early intervention. There are also identifiable risk factors that influence the course of bipolar disorder, some of them potentially modifiable. Valid biomarkers or diagnosis tools to help clinicians identify individuals at high risk of conversion to bipolar disorder are still lacking, although there are some promising early results. Pending more solid evidence on the best treatment strategy in early phases of bipolar disorder, physicians should carefully weigh the risks and benefits of each intervention. Further studies will provide the evidence needed to finish shaping the concept of early intervention. AJP AT 175 Remembering Our Past As We Envision Our Future April 1925: Interpretations of Manic-Depressive Phases Earl Bond and G.E. Partridge reviewed a number of patients with manic-depressive illness in search of a unifying endo-psychic conflict. They concluded that understanding either phase of illness was "elusive" and "tantalizing beyond reach." (Am J Psychiatry 1925: 81: 643-662 ).
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Biomarkers; Bipolar Disorder; Child; Early Diagnosis; Early Medical Intervention; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Mass Screening; Prodromal Symptoms; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Risk Factors; Young Adult
PubMed: 29361850
DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17090972 -
CNS Drugs Sep 2015Approximately 40% of patients with bipolar disorder experience mixed episodes, defined as a manic state with depressive features, or manic symptoms in a patient with... (Review)
Review
Approximately 40% of patients with bipolar disorder experience mixed episodes, defined as a manic state with depressive features, or manic symptoms in a patient with bipolar depression. Compared with bipolar patients without mixed features, patients with bipolar mixed states generally have more severe symptomatology, more lifetime episodes of illness, worse clinical outcomes and higher rates of comorbidities, and thus present a significant clinical challenge. Most clinical trials have investigated second-generation neuroleptic monotherapy, monotherapy with anticonvulsants or lithium, combination therapy, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Neuroleptic drugs are often used alone or in combination with anticonvulsants or lithium for preventive treatment, and ECT is an effective treatment for mixed manic episodes in situations where medication fails or cannot be used. Common antidepressants have been shown to worsen mania symptoms during mixed episodes without necessarily improving depressive symptoms; thus, they are not recommended during mixed episodes. A greater understanding of pathophysiological processes in bipolar disorder is now required to provide a more accurate diagnosis and new personalised treatment approaches. Targeted, specific treatments developed through a greater understanding of bipolar disorder pathophysiology, capable of affecting the underlying disease processes, could well prove to be more effective, faster acting, and better tolerated than existing therapies, therefore providing better outcomes for individuals affected by bipolar disorder. Until such time as targeted agents are available, second-generation neuroleptics are emerging as the treatment of choice in the management of mixed states in bipolar disorder.
Topics: Antidepressive Agents; Bipolar Disorder; Clinical Trials as Topic; Databases, Bibliographic; Disease Management; Electroconvulsive Therapy; Humans
PubMed: 26369921
DOI: 10.1007/s40263-015-0275-6 -
The Practitioner Jul 1992
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Mental Health Services Research Dec 2002Manic-depressive (bipolar) disorder is a severe, relapsing mental illness that shares characterstics both with major depressive disorder and with serious mental... (Review)
Review
Manic-depressive (bipolar) disorder is a severe, relapsing mental illness that shares characterstics both with major depressive disorder and with serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Like schizophrenia, it is a chronic disorder, and is treated primarily in the specialty mental health sector. Rates of appropriate treatment are low. Functional outcome is compromised for the majority of individuals who have this disorder. Societal costs are exceeded only by those for schizophrenia. Existing cost calculations likely underestimate societal costs because of underestimating functional impact and neglecting to account for the substantial proportion of individuals who are institutionalized outside of the health care system (e.g., in prison). Little is known as yet regarding manic-depressive disorder in historically underserved groups and in vulnerable groups such as the elderly. There are major lacunae with regard to this disorder in the grant portfolios of all federal agencies mandated to address the needs of Americans with serious mental illnesses. The authors in the context of the Wider NIMH Affective Disorders Workgroup propose several specific recommendations to address the needs of this costly and underresearched disorder.
Topics: Bipolar Disorder; Chronic Disease; Cost of Illness; Health Priorities; Humans; Mental Health Services; Research; Treatment Outcome; United States; Vulnerable Populations
PubMed: 12558008
DOI: 10.1023/a:1020968616616 -
Psychopathology 2021Cycle patterns of bipolar disorders (BDs) have been previously shown to be associated with clinical characteristics and response to lithium salts. Here, we evaluated the...
INTRODUCTION
Cycle patterns of bipolar disorders (BDs) have been previously shown to be associated with clinical characteristics and response to lithium salts. Here, we evaluated the distribution of different types of manic-depressive cycles in a large sample of patients with BD. The associations between a mania-depression-interval (MDI) course and depression-mania-interval (DMI) course with sociodemographic/clinical factors were also assessed in order to define specific clinical profiles.
METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, 806 patients with BD admitted to the Psychiatric Unit of San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital in Orbassano and Molinette Hospital in Turin, Italy, were recruited. Patients were grouped according to the following course patterns: MDI, DMI, continuous cycling (CC, <4 episodes/year without intervals), rapid cycling (RC, ≥4 episodes/year), and irregular (IRR) cycling. We compared several sociodemographic and clinical variables in an MDI versus DMI course by means of ANOVA and Pearson χ2 with Bonferroni correction.
RESULTS
Bipolar cycles were distributed as follows: 50.2% IRR course, 31.5% MDI course, 16% DMI course, 1.2% CC, and 1% RC. Compared to DMI course, patients with an MDI course were more often men, younger, with an earlier onset, a manic polarity onset, and more lifetime compulsory admissions. They were more frequently treated with lithium and antipsychotics. Patients with a DMI course had older age at diagnosis and at first mood-stabilizer treatment and were more often misdiagnosed with a major depressive disorder. These patients were more commonly treated with anticonvulsants, and they had more frequently failed treatment trials with lithium salts in the past.
CONCLUSION
This study supports the utility of classifying BD according to their course patterns. This classification holds prognostic as well as therapeutic implications.
Topics: Bipolar Disorder; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depressive Disorder, Major; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged
PubMed: 33626525
DOI: 10.1159/000513314