Decreasing the minimum length criterion for an episode of hypomania: evaluation using self-reported data from patients with bipolar disorder

Longitudinal Digital Mood Charting in Bipolar Disorder: Experiences with ChronoRecord Over 20 Years

INTRODUCTION

Longitudinal study is an essential methodology for understanding disease trajectories, treatment effects, symptom changes, and long-term outcomes of affective disorders. Daily self-charting of mood and other illness-related variables is a commonly recommended intervention. With the widespread acceptance of home computers in the early 2000s, automated tools were developed for patient mood charting, such as ChronoRecord, a software validated by patients with bipolar disorder. The purpose of this study was to summarize the daily mood, sleep, and medication data collected with ChronoRecord, and highlight some of the key research findings. Lessons learned from implementing a computerized tool for patient self-reporting are also discussed.

METHODS

After a brief training session, ChronoRecord software for daily mood charting was installed on a home computer and used by 609 patients with affective disorders.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 40.3±11.8 years, a mean age of onset was 22±11.2 years, and 71.4% were female. Patients were euthymic for 70.8% of days, 15.1% had mild depression, 6.6% had severe depression, 6.6% had hypomania, and 0.8% had mania. Among all mood groups, 22.4% took 1-2 medications, 37.2% took 3-4 medications, 25.7 took 5-6 medications, 11.6% took 7-8 medications, and 3.1% took >8 medications.

CONCLUSION

The daily mood charting tool is a useful tool for increasing patient involvement in their care, providing detailed patient data to the physician, and increasing understanding of the course of illness. Longitudinal data from patient mood charting was helpful in both clinical and research settings.

The AREDOC project and its implications for the definition and measurement of the bipolar disorders: A summary report

OBJECTIVES

Judging that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) criteria for defining mania/hypomania (and thus bipolar I/II disorders, respectively) would benefit from review, we formed an expert taskforce to derive modified criteria for consideration. The aim of this paper is to summarise the component stages and detail the final recommended criteria.

METHODS

We first sought taskforce members' views on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria and how they might be modified. Next, members recruited patients with a bipolar I or II disorder, and who were asked to judge new definitional options and complete a symptom checklist to determine the most differentiating items. The latter task was also completed by a small comparison group of unipolar depressed patients to determine the mood state items that best differentiate unipolar from bipolar subjects. Subsequent reports overviewed analyses arguing for bipolar I and II as being categorically distinct and generated empirically derived diagnostic criteria.

RESULTS

Alternatives to all the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) criteria were generated. Modifications included recognising that impairment is not a necessary criterion, removing hospitalisation as automatically assigning bipolar I status, adding an irritable/angry symptom construct to the symptom list, deleting a mandatory duration period for manic/hypomanic episodes, and requiring a greater number of affirmed symptoms for a bipolar diagnosis to manage the risk of overdiagnosis. Granular symptom criteria were identified by analyses and constructed to assist clinician assessment. A potential bipolar screening measure was developed with analyses showing that it could clearly distinguish bipolar versus unipolar status, whether symptom items were assigned as having equal status or weighted by their quantified diagnostic contribution.

CONCLUSION

While requiring further validation, we suggest that the revised criteria overcome several current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) limitations to defining and differentiating the two bipolar sub-types, while still respecting and preserving the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders template. It will be necessary to determine whether the bipolar screening measure has superiority to currently accepted measures.

Polarised views about bipolar disorder(s): A critique of the 2020 College guidelines for mood disorders

The 2020 College guidelines for mood disorders banish bipolar II disorder - despite its formal status in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and International Classification of Diseases manuals for more than two decades - and argue that there is no need to partition bipolar disorder into separate sub-types. Their single-entity model is seemingly based on opinion rather than any support from referenced scientific studies. The author challenges the Committee's model of there being only one bipolar disorder and argues that it presents several clinical management risks, particularly of 'over-treatment'.

Revising Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, criteria for the bipolar disorders: Phase I of the AREDOC project

OBJECTIVE

To derive new criteria sets for defining manic and hypomanic episodes (and thus for defining the bipolar I and II disorders), an international Task Force was assembled and termed AREDOC reflecting its role of Assessment, Revision and Evaluation of DSM and other Operational Criteria. This paper reports on the first phase of its deliberations and interim criteria recommendations.

METHOD

The first stage of the process consisted of reviewing Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, and recent International Classification of Diseases criteria, identifying their limitations and generating modified criteria sets for further in-depth consideration. Task Force members responded to recommendations for modifying criteria and from these the most problematic issues were identified.

RESULTS

Principal issues focussed on by Task Force members were how best to differentiate mania and hypomania, how to judge 'impairment' (both in and of itself and allowing that functioning may sometimes improve during hypomanic episodes) and concern that rejecting some criteria (e.g. an imposed duration period) might risk false-positive diagnoses of the bipolar disorders.

CONCLUSION

This first-stage report summarises the clinical opinions of international experts in the diagnosis and management of the bipolar disorders, allowing readers to contemplate diagnostic parameters that may influence their clinical decisions. The findings meaningfully inform subsequent Task Force stages (involving a further commentary stage followed by an empirical study) that are expected to generate improved symptom criteria for diagnosing the bipolar I and II disorders with greater precision and to clarify whether they differ dimensionally or categorically.

Childhood interleukin-6, C-reactive protein and atopic disorders as risk factors for hypomanic symptoms in young adulthood: a longitudinal birth cohort study

BACKGROUND

There are no existing longitudinal studies of inflammatory markers and atopic disorders in childhood and risk of hypomanic symptoms in adulthood. This study examined if childhood: (1) serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP); and (2) asthma and/or eczema are associated with features of hypomania in young adulthood.

METHOD

Participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a prospective general population UK birth cohort, had non-fasting blood samples for IL-6 and CRP measurement at the age of 9 years (n = 4645), and parents answered a question about doctor-diagnosed atopic illness before the age of 10 years (n = 7809). These participants completed the Hypomania Checklist at age 22 years (n = 3361).

RESULTS

After adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, socio-economic status, past psychological and behavioural problems, body mass index and maternal postnatal depression, participants in the top third of IL-6 values at 9 years, compared with the bottom third, had an increased risk of hypomanic symptoms by age 22 years [adjusted odds ratio 1.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-2.85, p < 0.001]. Higher IL-6 levels in childhood were associated with adult hypomania features in a dose-response fashion. After further adjustment for depression at the age of 18 years this association remained (adjusted odds ratio 1.70, 95% CI 1.03-2.81, p = 0.038). There was no evidence of an association of hypomanic symptoms with CRP levels, asthma or eczema in childhood.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher levels of systemic inflammatory marker IL-6 in childhood were associated with hypomanic symptoms in young adulthood, suggesting that inflammation may play a role in the pathophysiology of mania. Inflammatory pathways may be suitable targets for the prevention and intervention for bipolar disorder.

Electronic monitoring of self-reported mood: the return of the subjective?

This narrative review describes recent developments in the use of technology for utilizing the self-monitoring of mood, provides some relevant background, and suggests some promising directions. Subjective experience of mood is one of the valuable sources of information about the state of an integrated mind/brain system. During the past century, psychiatry and psychology moved away from subjectivity, emphasizing external observation, precise measurement, and laboratory techniques. This shift, however, provided only a limited improvement in the understanding of mood disorders, and it appears that self-monitoring of mood has the potential to enrich our knowledge, particularly when combined with the advances in technology. Modern technology, with its ability to transfer information from the individual directly to the researcher via electronic applications, enables us now to study mood regulation more thoroughly. Frequent subjective ratings can be helpful in identifying individualized treatment with effective mood stabilizers and recognizing subtypes of mood disorders. The variability of subjective ratings may also help us estimate the increased risk of recurrence and guide a tailored treatment.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Bipolar Disorder: A Review of Biomarker and Treatment Studies

OBJECTIVE

There is growing evidence that inflammation is an important mediator of pathophysiology in bipolar disorder. The omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) metabolic pathways participate in several inflammatory processes and have been linked through epidemiologic and clinical studies to bipolar disorder and its response to treatment. We review the data on PUFAs as biomarkers in bipolar disorder and n-3 PUFA used as treatment for bipolar disorder.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed and CINAHL were searched for articles on PUFA and bipolar disorder published in the English language through November 6, 2013, with an updated search conducted on August 20, 2015. Keywords searched included omega 3 fatty acids and bipolar disorder, omega 3 fatty acids and bipolar mania, omega 3 fatty acids and bipolar depression, omega 3 fatty acids and mania, omega 3 fatty acids and cyclothymia, omega 3 fatty acids and hypomania, fatty acids and bipolar disorder, essential fatty acids and bipolar disorder, polyunsaturated fatty acids and bipolar disorder, DHA and bipolar disorder, and EPA and bipolar disorder.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies selected measured PUFAs as biomarkers or introduced n-3 PUFA as treatment.

RESULTS

We identified 17 relevant human clinical articles that either compared PUFA levels between a bipolar disorder group and a control group or used a PUFA intervention to treat depression or mania in bipolar disorder. Human studies suggest low n-3 red blood cell PUFA concentrations and correlations with clinical severity in studies of plasma concentrations in symptomatic bipolar disorder. Results of published n-3 PUFA dietary supplementation trials for bipolar disorder indicate efficacy in treatment for mania or depression in 5 of 5 open-label trials, efficacy in treatment of depression in 1 of 7 randomized controlled trials, and a signal for treatment of depression in 1 meta-analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Biomarker studies of PUFA and treatment studies of n-3 PUFA in bipolar disorder show promise for indicating a way forward in the study of PUFA in bipolar disorder. Investigation of the intake and metabolism of the n-3 and n-6 PUFA when supplementation is provided in treatment trials might offer clues for identification of when and how PUFA may be important for treatment in bipolar disorder.

Systematic review of patients' participation in and experiences of technology-based monitoring of mental health symptoms in the community

OBJECTIVES

To review systematically the literature on patients' experiences of, and participation in, technology-based monitoring of mental health symptoms. This practice was defined as patients monitoring their mental health symptoms, emotions or behaviours outside of routine clinical appointments by submitting symptom data using technology, with feedback arising from the data (for example, supportive messages or symptom summaries, being sent to the patient, clinician or carer).

DESIGN

Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines of studies evaluating technology-based symptom monitoring. Tools from narrative synthesis were used to analyse quantitative findings on participation rates and qualitative findings on patient views.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, BNI, CINAHL, Cochrane Registers and Web of Science electronic databases were searched using a combination of 'psychiatry', 'symptom monitoring' and 'technology' descriptors. A secondary hand search was performed in grey literature and references.

RESULTS

57 papers representing 42 studies met the inclusion criteria for the review. Technology-based symptom monitoring was used for a range of mental health conditions, either independently of a specific therapeutic intervention or as an integrated component of therapeutic interventions. The majority of studies reported moderate-to-strong rates of participation, though a third reported lower rates. Qualitative feedback suggests that acceptability of monitoring is related to perceived validity, ease of practice, convenient technology, appropriate frequency and helpfulness of feedback, as well as the impact of monitoring on participants' ability to manage health and personal relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

Such symptom monitoring practices appear to be well accepted and may be a feasible complement to clinical practice. However, there is limited availability of data and heterogeneity of studies. Future research should examine robustly patients' role in the development and evaluation of technology-based symptom monitoring in order to maximise its clinical utility.

The comparative short-term outcome of bipolar II disorder patients variably meeting or not meeting DSM-5 duration criteria following lamotrigine treatment

There is accruing clinical and empirical evidence supporting the efficacy of lamotrigine as a treatment for bipolar II disorder. However, the treatment response experienced by those with 'short duration' hypomania (or 'other specified' bipolar disorder) has been under-researched. We reviewed a clinical sample of 123 patients diagnosed with a bipolar II disorder three months following their initial assessment. A research interview evaluated treatment strategies implemented, depressive and hypomanic episode pattern and functional outcomes. Of patients who had achieved a minimum level of 75 mg of lamotrigine, n = 51 were assigned to the BP II disorder group (i.e., hypomanic episodes lasted four days or longer) and n = 28 to the short duration group (i.e., hypomanic episodes always lasted less than four days). There were no significant differences between the two groups at the three-month follow-up on self-report measures of changes in depressive and hypomanic episode pattern or functioning across six domains (i.e., intimate relationships, family relationships, friendships, work relationships, work performance, overall quality of life), and with the majority of patients reporting some level of improvement. Study limitations include being an observational, uncontrolled design with a relatively small sample size for detecting statistical differences. Nonetheless, lamotrigine appeared to be a suitable medication to be trialled in patients who alternate between depressive episodes and short periods of hypomania, (as for those with DSM-defined hypomanic episodes), and should prompt further investigation.

The Prevalence and Diagnostic Validity of Short-Duration Hypomanic Episodes and Major Depressive Episodes

Current diagnostic criteria for a hypomanic episode, as outlined in both the fourth and fifth editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV and DSM-5), require a minimum duration of four consecutive days of symptoms of mood elevation. The 4-day criterion for duration of hypomania has been challenged as arbitrary and lacking empirical support, with many arguing that shorter-duration hypomanic episodes are highly prevalent and that those experiencing these episodes are clinically more similar to patients with bipolar disorder than to those with unipolar major depressive disorder. We review the current evidence regarding the prevalence, diagnostic validity, and longitudinal illness correlates of shorter-duration hypomanic episodes and summarize the arguments for and against broadening the diagnostic criteria for hypomania to include shorter-duration variants. Accumulating findings suggest that patients with major depressive episodes and shorter-duration hypomanic episodes represent a complex clinical phenotype, perhaps best conceptualized as being on the continuum between those with unipolar depressive episodes alone and those with DSM-5-defined bipolar II disorder. Further investigation is warranted, ideally involving large prospective, controlled studies, to elucidate the diagnostic and treatment implications of depression with shorter-duration hypomanic episodes.

Clinical characteristics and temperament influences on 'happy' euphoric and 'snappy' irritable bipolar hypo/manic mood states

BACKGROUND

While mood elevation and euphoria are the most commonly described phenotypic descriptors of hypo/mania, irritability and anger may dominate. This study was designed to pursue possible determinants of such differing states.

METHODS

Patients with bipolar I or II disorder were assigned to an 'irritable/snappy' or 'euphoric/happy' sub-set on the basis of their dominant hypo/manic symptoms. Group differences were examined across clinical, personality, lifestyle and illness impact measures.

RESULTS

The two sub-sets did not differ on age of depression onset, family history of mood disorders, or depression severity and impairment. The snappy sub-set reported higher levels of irritability in depressed phases and were more likely to have a comorbid anxiety disorder. Their hypo/manic episodes were shorter and they were more likely to be hospitalized at such times. On a temperament measure they scored as more irritable and self-focussed and as less cooperative and effective - indicative of higher levels of disordered personality functioning.

LIMITATIONS

Some comparison analyses were undertaken on a reduced sample size, giving rise to power issues. Our bipolar I and II diagnoses deviated to some extent from DSM-5 criteria in not imposing duration criteria for hypo/manic episodes.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings support a spectrum model for the bipolar disorders linking temperament to bipolar symptomatic state and which may have treatment implications.

Is the DSM-5 duration criterion valid for the definition of hypomania?

BACKGROUND

DSM-IV and DSM-5 impose a 4 day duration criterion for hypomanic episodes yet several studies have suggested that such an imposition may be invalid. We report a study involving a large sample pursuing the likely salience of the DSM duration criterion.

METHODS

We analyzed data on hypomanic symptoms provided by two bipolar screening measures - the Mood Disorders Questionnaire (MDQ) and the Mood Swings Questionnaire (MSQ) in a sample of 501 patients meeting DSM and other symptom criteria for a bipolar II disorder (BP II) and contrasted data for 186 meeting the DSM minimum duration of 4 days and 315 experiencing episodes lasting less than 4 days (i.e. 'standard' vs. 'brief' groups).

RESULTS

The brief group reported slightly less severe hypomanic episodes, but the two groups did not differ on a number of illness correlates including age of onset of depressive and of hypomanic episodes, or by rates of depressive and bipolar conditions in first-degree family members.

LIMITATIONS

The possibility of false positive BP II diagnoses, especially with brief hypomanic episodes, must be conceded while our examination of clinical symptoms was limited to two measures.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is consistent with previous studies suggesting that the DSM duration of 4 or more days for a diagnosis of a hypomanic episode is unnecessary to the clinical definition of a BP II disorder. Its preservation is likely to exclude a substantive number of those with a true BP II condition.

Bipolar II disorder in rural New South Wales

OBJECTIVE

To determine the frequency with which bipolar II disorder (BD II) was diagnosed in clinics held in four rural towns in New South Wales (NSW).

METHOD

A retrospective case file audit was conducted for patients referred for psychiatric assessment and treatment in four towns in rural NSW over a period of two years and nine months.

RESULTS

Of 559 patients seen for the first time during the study period, 113 (20.2%) were diagnosed with BD II, and of these this diagnosis was made for the first time in 69 patients (61%). Associated clinical findings in BD II patients are presented and a comparison is made with patients with non-bipolar depression seen during the same period.

CONCLUSION

BD II was commonly seen in these rural clinics, and appears to be often under-diagnosed in general practice, as has been found to be the case in urban centres. This is seen as a serious public health problem, which needs to be addressed by educational steps directed at general practitioners (GPs), mental health clinicians, and perhaps also the general public.