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Journal of Medical Internet Research Mar 2022Mental health apps (MHAs) provide opportunities for accessible, immediate, and innovative approaches to better understand and support the treatment of mental health... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Mental health apps (MHAs) provide opportunities for accessible, immediate, and innovative approaches to better understand and support the treatment of mental health disorders, especially those with a high burden, such as bipolar disorder (BD). Many MHAs have been developed, but few have had their effectiveness evaluated.
OBJECTIVE
This systematic scoping review explores current process and outcome measures of MHAs for BD with the aim to provide a comprehensive overview of current research. This will identify the best practice for evaluating MHAs for BD and inform future studies.
METHODS
A systematic literature search of the health science databases PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Embase, EBSCO, Scopus, and Web of Science was undertaken up to January 2021 (with no start date) to narratively assess how studies had evaluated MHAs for BD.
RESULTS
Of 4051 original search results, 12 articles were included. These 12 studies included 435 participants, and of these, 343 had BD type I or II. Moreover, 11 of the 12 studies provided the ages (mean 37 years) of the participants. One study did not report age data. The male to female ratio of the 343 participants was 137:206. The most widely employed validated outcome measure was the Young Mania Rating Scale, being used 8 times. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17/Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was used thrice; the Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale, Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, and Functional Assessment Staging Test were used twice; and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, EuroQoL 5-Dimension Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7, Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, Major Depression Index, Morisky-Green 8-item, Perceived Stress Scale, and World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF were used once. Self-report measures were captured in 9 different studies, 6 of which used MONARCA. Mood and energy levels were the most commonly used self-report measures, being used 4 times each. Furthermore, 11 of the 12 studies discussed the various confounding factors and barriers to the use of MHAs for BD.
CONCLUSIONS
Reported low adherence rates, usability challenges, and privacy concerns act as barriers to the use of MHAs for BD. Moreover, as MHA evaluation is itself developing, guidance for clinicians in how to aid patient choices in mobile health needs to develop. These obstacles could be ameliorated by incorporating co-production and co-design using participatory patient approaches during the development and evaluation stages of MHAs for BD. Further, including qualitative aspects in trials that examine patient experience of both mental ill health and the MHA itself could result in a more patient-friendly fit-for-purpose MHA for BD.
Topics: Adult; Bipolar Disorder; Female; Humans; Male; Mobile Applications; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 35319470
DOI: 10.2196/29114 -
Clinical Neurophysiology : Official... May 2022Mood disorders have been associated with lateralized brain dysfunction, on the left-side for depression and right-side for mania. Consistently, asymmetry of cortical... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
Mood disorders have been associated with lateralized brain dysfunction, on the left-side for depression and right-side for mania. Consistently, asymmetry of cortical excitability, as measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been reported. Here, we reviewed and summarized work assessing such measures bilaterally in mood disorders.
METHODS
We performed a systematic review and extracted data to perform meta-analyses of interhemispheric asymmetry of motor cortex excitability, assessed with TMS, across different mood disorders and in healthy subjects. Additionally, potential predictors of interhemispheric asymmetry were explored.
RESULTS
Asymmetry of resting motor threshold (MT) among healthy volunteers was significant, favoring lower right relative to left-hemisphere excitability. MT was also significantly asymmetric in major depressive disorder (MDD), but with lower excitability of the left -hemisphere, when compared to the right, no longer observed in recovered patients. Findings on intracortical facilitation were similar. The few trials including bipolar depression revealed similar trends for imbalance, but with lower right hemisphere excitability, relative to the left.
CONCLUSIONS
There is interhemispheric asymmetry of motor cortical excitability in MDD, with lower excitability on left when compared to right-side. Interhemispheric asymmetry, with lower right relative to left-sided excitability, was found for bipolar depression and was also suggested for healthy volunteers, in a pattern that is clearly distinct from MDD.
SIGNIFICANCE
Mood disorders display asymmetric motor cortical excitability that is distinct from that found in healthy volunteers, supporting the presence of lateralized brain dysfunction in these disorders.
Topics: Cortical Excitability; Depressive Disorder, Major; Evoked Potentials, Motor; Functional Laterality; Humans; Mood Disorders; Motor Cortex; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
PubMed: 35240425
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2022.01.137 -
Bipolar Disorders Jun 2022Cognitive impairments are an emerging treatment target in mood disorders, but currently there are no evidence-based pro-cognitive treatments indicated for patients in... (Review)
Review
Randomised controlled cognition trials in remitted patients with mood disorders published between 2015 and 2021: A systematic review by the International Society for Bipolar Disorders Targeting Cognition Task Force.
BACKGROUND
Cognitive impairments are an emerging treatment target in mood disorders, but currently there are no evidence-based pro-cognitive treatments indicated for patients in remission. With this systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) Targeting Cognition Task force provides an update of the most promising treatments and methodological recommendations.
METHODS
The review included RCTs of candidate pro-cognitive interventions in fully or partially remitted patients with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder. We followed the procedures of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020 statement. Searches were conducted on PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycInfo, EMBASE and Cochrane Library from January 2015, when two prior systematic reviews were conducted, until February 2021. Two independent authors reviewed the studies with the Revised Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool for Randomised trials.
RESULTS
We identified 16 RCTs (N = 859) investigating cognitive remediation (CR; k = 6; N = 311), direct current or repetitive magnetic stimulation (k = 3; N = 127), or pharmacological interventions (k = 7; N = 421). CR showed most consistent cognitive benefits, with two trials showing improvements on primary outcomes. Neuromodulatory interventions revealed no clear efficacy. Among pharmacological interventions, modafinil and lurasidone showed early positive results. Sources of bias included small samples, lack of pre-screening for objective cognitive impairment, no primary outcome and no information on allocation sequence masking.
CONCLUSIONS
Evidence for pro-cognitive treatments in mood disorders is emerging. Recommendations are to increase sample sizes, pre-screen for impairment in targeted domain(s), select one primary outcome, aid transfer to real-world functioning, investigate multimodal interventions and include neuroimaging.
Topics: Bipolar Disorder; Cognition; Cognitive Dysfunction; Humans; Lurasidone Hydrochloride; Mood Disorders
PubMed: 35174594
DOI: 10.1111/bdi.13193 -
World Journal of Psychiatry Dec 2021Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by mood swings. Psychosocial interventions, such as psychoeducation, play an essential role in...
BACKGROUND
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by mood swings. Psychosocial interventions, such as psychoeducation, play an essential role in promoting social rehabilitation and improving pharmacological treatment.
AIM
To investigate the role of psychoeducation in BD.
METHODS
A systematic review of original studies regarding psychoeducation interventions in patients with BD and their relatives was developed. A systematic literature search was performed using the Medline, Scopus, and Lilacs databases. No review articles or qualitative studies were included in the analysis. There were no date restriction criteria, and studies published up to April 2021 were included.
RESULTS
A total of forty-seven studies were selected for this review. Thirty-eight studies included patients, and nine included family members. Psychoeducation of patients and family members was associated with a lower number of new mood episodes and a reduction in number and length of stay of hospitalizations. Psychoeducational interventions with patients are associated with improved adherence to drug treatment. The strategies studied in patients and family members do not interfere with the severity of symptoms of mania or depression or with the patient's quality of life or functionality. Psychoeducational interventions with family members do not alter patients' adherence to pharmacotherapy.
CONCLUSION
Psychoeducation as an adjunct strategy to pharmacotherapy in the treatment of BD leads to a reduction in the frequency of new mood episodes, length of hospital stay and adherence to drug therapy.
PubMed: 35070785
DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v11.i12.1407 -
Translational Psychiatry Jan 2022Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the risk, pathophysiology, and progression of mood disorders, especially bipolar disorder (BD). Thus, the objective of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the risk, pathophysiology, and progression of mood disorders, especially bipolar disorder (BD). Thus, the objective of this meta-analysis was to determine the overall antidepressant effect of mitochondrial modulators in the treatment of bipolar depression. Outcomes included improvement in depression scale scores, Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-S) score. Data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the antidepressant effect of diverse mitochondrial modulators were pooled to determine standard mean differences (SMDs) compared with placebo.13 RCTs were identified for qualitative review. The overall effect size of mitochondrial modulators on depressive symptoms was -0.48 (95% CI: -0.83 to -0.14, p = 0.007, I = 75%), indicative of a statistically significant moderate antidepressant effect. In the subgroup analysis, NAC improved depressive symptoms compared with placebo (-0.88, 95% CI: -1.48 to -0.27, I = 81%). In addition, there was no statistical difference between mitochondrial modulators and placebo in YMRS. Although mitochondrial modulators were superior to placebo in CGI-S score (-0.44, 95% CI: -0.83 to -0.06, I = 71%), only EPA was superior to placebo in subgroup analysis. Overall, a moderate antidepressant effect was observed for mitochondrial modulators compared with placebo in the treatment of bipolar depression. The small number of studies, diversity of agents, and small sample sizes limited interpretation of the current analysis.
Topics: Antidepressive Agents; Bipolar Disorder; Humans; Mitochondria; Mood Disorders
PubMed: 35013098
DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01727-7 -
Frontiers in Pediatrics 2021Wolfram Syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by early-onset diabetes mellitus, neurodegeneration, and psychological disorders. Mutations in the...
Wolfram Syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by early-onset diabetes mellitus, neurodegeneration, and psychological disorders. Mutations in the gene , coding for the protein wolframin, cause Wolfram Syndrome and are associated with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. This report aims to connect mutations to their impact on protein expression and structure, which ultimately translates to altered cell function and behavioral alterations of an individual. Published data were used to compile mutations associated with psychiatric symptoms, both in homozygous patients and heterozygous carriers of mutations. These mutations were evaluated using SNAP2, PolyPhen-2, and PROVEAN to predict the effects of sequence variants. Statistical analysis was performed to assess the correlation between the locations of the mutations and the damage prediction scores. Several mutations, clustering in the center and C-terminus of the polypeptide, such as A559T and R558C, are found in individuals with psychiatric diseases and appear particularly impactful on protein structure. Our analysis showed that mutations in all regions of wolframin were present in patients with schizophrenia whereas only cytoplasmic and ER luminal mutations were reported in patients with manic episodes and bipolar disorders. According to Poly-Phen-2 predictions, 82.4% of the ER lumen mutations and 85.7% of the membrane mutations are damaging. We propose mood disorders in Wolfram Syndrome and heterozygous carriers of mutations are the consequence of specific mutations in that alter the structure of wolframin, resulting in intracellular calcium dysregulations and impaired cell signaling, Understanding the effect of mutations on bipolar disorder and schizoprenia is integral to designing clinically targeted treatments for both diseases, which need more specialized treatments.
PubMed: 34746052
DOI: 10.3389/fped.2021.718132 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2021Identifying the characteristics of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) associated with different dementia types may be a promising strategy to...
Identifying the characteristics of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) associated with different dementia types may be a promising strategy to effectively deal with BPSD. We aimed to synthesize the prevalence rates of BPSD characteristics in community-dwelling dementia patients. We searched Medline, EMBASE, and PsycARTICLES databases for original clinical studies published until December 2020 that enrolled at least 300 community-dwelling dementia patients. The methodological qualities of prevalence studies were assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute's critical appraisal checklist. Thirty studies were included. The prevalence of the BPSD characteristic ranged from 4 (elation and mania) to 32% (apathy) in the pooled samples. The prevalence of delusions, anxiety, apathy, irritability, elation and mania, and aberrant motor behavior in Alzheimer's disease patients was 1.72-2.88 times greater than that in vascular dementia (VD) patients, while the prevalence of disinhibition in VD patients was 1.38 times greater. The prevalence of anxiety, irritability, and agitation and aggression, delusion, hallucinations, apathy, disinhibition, and aberrant motor behavior tended to increase as the severity of dementia increased, while that of depression, eating disorder, sleep disorders, and elation and mania tended to stable. In community-dwelling patients with dementia, the pooled prevalence of apathy, depression, anxiety, irritability, agitation and aggression, sleep disorders, and eating disorder was higher than 20%, while that of disinhibition and elation and mania was lower than 10%. Overall, the pooled prevalence of apathy, depression, anxiety, irritability, agitation and aggression, sleep disorders, and eating disorder was generally high in patients with dementia. Also, the prevalence of some BPSD characteristics differed according to the type and the severity of dementia. The methodological quality of the included studies is not the best, and high heterogeneity may affect the certainty of the findings. However, the results of this review can deepen our understanding of the prevalence of BPSD. https://osf.io/dmj7k, identifier: 10.17605/OSF.IO/DMJ7K.
PubMed: 34744832
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.741059 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2021Culture can affect psychiatric disorders. Clinical Lycanthropy is a rare syndrome, described since Antiquity, within which the patient has the delusional belief of...
Culture can affect psychiatric disorders. Clinical Lycanthropy is a rare syndrome, described since Antiquity, within which the patient has the delusional belief of turning into a wolf. Little is known on its clinical or therapeutic correlates. We conducted a systematic review (PRISMA) on PubMed and Google Scholar, until January 2021. Case reports, data on neurobiological hypotheses, and cultural aspects were included. Language was not restricted to English. Forty-three cases of clinical lycanthropy and kynanthropy (delusion of dog transformation) were identified. Associated diagnoses were: schizophrenia, psychotic depression, bipolar disorder, and other psychotic disorders. Antipsychotic medication may be an efficient treatment for this rare transnosographic syndrome. In case of depression or mania, the treatment included antidepressants or mood regulators. The neuroscientific hypotheses include the conception of clinical lycanthropy as a cenesthopathy, as a delusional misidentification of the self-syndrome, as impairments of sensory integration, as impairments of the belief evaluation system, and right hemisphere anomalies. Interestingly, there is a clinical overlap between clinical lycanthropy and other delusional misidentification syndromes. Clinical lycanthropy may be a culture-bound syndrome that happens in the context of Western cultures, myths, and stories on werewolves, and today's exposure to these narratives on cultural media such as the internet and the series. We suggest the necessity of a cultural approach for these patients' clinical assessment, and a narrative and patient-centered care. Psychiatric transtheoretical reflections are needed for complementaristic neurobiological and cultural approaches of complex delusional syndromes such as clinical lycanthropy. Future research should include integrative frameworks.
PubMed: 34707519
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.718101 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Jan 2022Bipolar disorder (BD) is highly recurrent and prevention of relapse and illness onset is an urgent treatment priority. This systematic review examined whether cognitive... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Bipolar disorder (BD) is highly recurrent and prevention of relapse and illness onset is an urgent treatment priority. This systematic review examined whether cognitive assessments can aid prediction of recurrence in patients with BD and/or illness onset in individuals at familial risk.
METHODS
The review included longitudinal studies of patients with BD or individuals at familial risk of mood disorder that examined the association between cognitive functions and subsequent relapse or illness onset, respectively. We followed the procedures of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020 statement. Searches were conducted on PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsychInfo databases from inception up until May 10th 2021.
RESULTS
We identified 19 eligible studies; 12 studies investigated cognitive predictors of recurrence in BD (N = 36-76) and seven investigated cognitive predictors of illness onset in at-risk individuals (N = 84-234). In BD, general cognitive impairment, poorer verbal memory and executive function and positive bias were associated with subsequent (hypo)manic relapse -but with not depressive relapse or mood episodes in general. In first-degree relatives, impairments in attention, verbal memory and executive functions and positive bias were associated with subsequent illness onset.
LIMITATIONS
The findings should be considered preliminary given the small-to-moderate sample sizes and scarcity of studies.
CONCLUSIONS
Subject to replication, the associations between cognitive impairment and (hypo)mania relapse and illness onset may provide a platform for personalised treatment and prophylactic strategies.
Topics: Affect; Bipolar Disorder; Cognition; Cognition Disorders; Humans; Mood Disorders
PubMed: 34699850
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.10.044 -
Therapeutic Advances in... 2021Bipolar disorder (BD) is a cyclic mood disorder characterised by alternating episodes of mania/hypomania and depression interspersed with euthymic periods. Lamotrigine... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a cyclic mood disorder characterised by alternating episodes of mania/hypomania and depression interspersed with euthymic periods. Lamotrigine (LTG) demonstrated some mood improvement in patients treated for epilepsy, leading to clinical studies in patients with BD and its eventual introduction as maintenance therapy for the prevention of depressive relapse in euthymic patients. Most current clinical guidelines include LTG as a recommended treatment option for the maintenance phase in adult BD, consistent with its global licencing status.
AIMS
To review the evidence for the efficacy and safety of LTG in the treatment of all phases of BD.
METHODS
PubMed was searched for double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trials using the keywords: LTG, Lamictal, 'bipolar disorder', 'bipolar affective disorder', 'bipolar I', 'bipolar II', cyclothymia, mania, manic, depression, depressive, 'randomised controlled trial', 'randomised trial', RCT and 'placebo-controlled' and corresponding MeSH terms. Eligible articles published in English were reviewed.
RESULTS
Thirteen studies were identified. The strongest evidence supports utility in the prevention of recurrence and relapse, particularly depressive relapse, in stabilised patients. Some evidence suggests efficacy in acute bipolar depression, but findings are inconsistent. There is little or no strong evidence in support of efficacy in acute mania, unipolar depression, or rapid-cycling BD. Few controlled trials have evaluated LTG in bipolar II or in paediatric patients. Indications for safety, tolerability and patient acceptability are relatively favourable, provided there is slow dose escalation to reduce the probability of skin rash.
CONCLUSION
On the balance of efficacy and tolerability, LTG might be considered a first-line drug for BD, except for acute manic episodes or where rapid symptom control is required. In terms of efficacy alone, however, the evidence favours other medications.
PubMed: 34646439
DOI: 10.1177/20451253211045870