The 2020 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of psychiatrists clinical practice guidelines for mood disorders: Bipolar disorder summary

New Advances in the Pharmacology and Toxicology of Lithium: A Neurobiologically Oriented Overview

Over the last six decades, lithium has been considered the gold standard treatment for the long-term management of bipolar disorder due to its efficacy in preventing both manic and depressive episodes as well as suicidal behaviors. Nevertheless, despite numerous observed effects on various cellular pathways and biologic systems, the precise mechanism through which lithium stabilizes mood remains elusive. Furthermore, there is recent support for the therapeutic potential of lithium in other brain diseases. This review offers a comprehensive examination of contemporary understanding and predominant theories concerning the diverse mechanisms underlying lithium's effects. These findings are based on investigations utilizing cellular and animal models of neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Recent studies have provided additional support for the significance of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) inhibition as a crucial mechanism. Furthermore, research has shed more light on the interconnections between GSK3-mediated neuroprotective, antioxidant, and neuroplasticity processes. Moreover, recent advancements in animal and human models have provided valuable insights into how lithium-induced modifications at the homeostatic synaptic plasticity level may play a pivotal role in its clinical effectiveness. We focused on findings from translational studies suggesting that lithium may interface with microRNA expression. Finally, we are exploring the repurposing potential of lithium beyond bipolar disorder. These recent findings on the therapeutic mechanisms of lithium have provided important clues toward developing predictive models of response to lithium treatment and identifying new biologic targets. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Lithium is the drug of choice for the treatment of bipolar disorder, but its mechanism of action in stabilizing mood remains elusive. This review presents the latest evidence on lithium's various mechanisms of action. Recent evidence has strengthened glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) inhibition, changes at the level of homeostatic synaptic plasticity, and regulation of microRNA expression as key mechanisms, providing an intriguing perspective that may help bridge the mechanistic gap between molecular functions and its clinical efficacy as a mood stabilizer.

Network dysfunction of sadness facial expression processing and morphometry in euthymic bipolar disorder

Facial emotion recognition (FER), including sadness, is altered in bipolar disorder (BD). However, the relationship between this impairment and the brain structure in BD is relatively unexplored. Furthermore, its association with clinical variables and with the subtypes of BD remains to be clarified. Twenty euthymic patients with BD type I (BD-I), 28 BD type II (BD-II), and 45 healthy controls completed a FER test and a 3D-T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Gray matter volume (GMV) of the cortico-limbic regions implicated in emotional processing was estimated and their relationship with FER performance was investigated using network analysis. Patients with BD-I had worse total and sadness-related FER performance relative to the other groups. Total FER performance was significantly negatively associated with illness duration and positively associated with global functioning in patients with BD-I. Sadness-related FER performance was also significantly negatively associated with the number of previous manic episodes. Network analysis showed a reduced association of the GMV of the frontal-insular-occipital areas in patients with BD-I, with a greater edge strength between sadness-related FER performance and amygdala GMV relative to controls. Our results suggest that FER performance, particularly for facial sadness, may be distinctively impaired in patients with BD-I. The pattern of reduced interrelationship in the frontal-insular-occipital regions and a stronger positive relationship between facial sadness recognition and the amygdala GMV in BD may reflect altered cortical modulation of limbic structures that ultimately predisposes to emotional dysregulation. Future longitudinal studies investigating the effect of mood state on FER performance in BD are warranted.

MoodSensing: A smartphone app for digital phenotyping and assessment of bipolar disorder

BACKGROUND

Daily life tracking has proven to be of great help in the assessment of patients with bipolar disorder. Although there are many smartphone apps for tracking bipolar disorder, most of them lack academic verification, privacy policy and long-term maintenance.

METHODS

Our developed app, MoodSensing, aims to collect users' digital phenotyping for assessment of bipolar disorder. The data collection was approved by the Institutional Review Board. This study collaborated with professional clinicians to ensure that the app meets both clinical needs and user experience requirements. Based on the collected digital phenotyping, deep learning techniques were applied to forecast participants' weekly HAM-D and YMRS scale scores.

RESULTS

In experiments, the data collected by our app can effectively predict the scale scores, reaching the mean absolute error of 0.84 and 0.22 on the scales. The statistical data also demonstrate the increase in user engagement.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis reveals that the developed MoodSensing app can not only provide a good user experience, but also the recorded data have certain discriminability for clinical assessment. Our app also provides relevant policies to protect user privacy, and has been launched in the Apple Store and Google Play Store.

Efficacy and tolerability of FDA-approved atypical antipsychotics for the treatment of bipolar depression: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

We employed a Bayesian network meta-analysis for comparison of the efficacy and tolerability of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) for the treatment of bipolar patients with depressive episodes. Sixteen randomized controlled trials with 7234 patients treated by one of the five AAPs (cariprazine, lumateperone, lurasidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine) were included. For the response rate (defined as an improvement of ≥50% from baseline on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS]), all AAPs were more efficacious than placebo. For the remission rate (defined as the endpoint of MADRS ≤12 or ≤ 10), cariprazine, lurasidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine had higher remission rates than placebo. In terms of tolerability, olanzapine was unexpectedly associated with lower odds of all-cause discontinuation in comparison with placebo, whereas quetiapine was associated with higher odds of discontinuation due to adverse events than placebo. Compared with placebo, lumateperone, olanzapine, and quetiapine showed higher odds of somnolence. Lumateperone had a lower rate of ≥ weight gain of 7% than placebo and other treatments. Olanzapine was associated with a significant increase from baseline in total cholesterol and triglycerides than placebo. These findings inform individualized prescriptions of AAPs for treating bipolar depression in clinical practice.

Why is lithium [not] the drug of choice for bipolar disorder? a controversy between science and clinical practice

BACKGROUND

During over half a century, science has shown that lithium is the most efficacious treatment for bipolar disorder but despite this, its prescription has consistently declined internationally during recent decades to approximately 35% ever use or less of patients with bipolar disorder.

CONTENT

This narrative review provides an overview of the decreasing use of lithium in bipolar disorder internationally, shortly summarises the evidence for lithium's acute and prophylactic effects in bipolar disorder, discuss the challenges in relation to lithium including side effects, long-term risks and myths around lithium and provides two detailed examples on how specialised care models may result in successful increase of the use of lithium to 70% of patients with bipolar disorder largescale and improve care regionally and nationally.

CONCLUSIONS

Decades of scientific investigations and education and teaching of clinicians and the public has not increased the use of lithium on a population-based large scale. It is argued that lithium should be the drug of choice for maintenance therapy as the single first-line treatment and that organizational changes are needed with specialised care for bipolar disorder to systematically and long-term change the use of lithium on a large-scale population-level.

Cariprazine Augmentation in Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression: Data from a Retrospective Observational Study

BACKGROUND

Treatment-resistant bipolar depression is one of the leading problems in psychiatry with serious consequences on patients functioning, quality of life and resource utilization. Despite this, there is a lack of consensus on diagnostic criteria and treatment algorithms.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the present study is to assess the acute effectiveness and tolerability of cariprazine in the management of treatment resistant bipolar depression.

METHODS

This is a four weeks retrospective multicentric observational study on patients with treatment resistant bipolar depression receiving cariprazine in augmentation to the current treatment. Cariprazine dosage changed during the follow-up period according to clinical judgment. Since data followed a non-normal distribution, non-parametric tests were used to pursue the analysis. The effectiveness of cariprazine was assessed through the mean change in Hamilton Depression rating scale (HAM-D) scores from baseline to endpoint. For missing values, a "Last Observation Carried Forward" approach was applied.

RESULTS

Fifty-one patients were enrolled. Four patients (7.8%) discontinued cariprazine mainly due to adverse events. Mean cariprazine dose was 1.7 mg/day. The mean HAM-D score decreased significantly from baseline (T0) to week 4 (T4) at each evaluation point. Fourty-five one percent of the patients benefited of cariprazine add-on strategy: 23.5% achieved a clinical response and 21.6% were remitters. Among the completers, 70.6% experienced at least one adverse event. All side effects were mild to moderate.

CONCLUSION

Cariprazine seems to be an effective and well tolerated option in the management of patients with treatment resistant bipolar depression.

Gepirone Extended-Release: First Approval

Gepirone HCL extended-release (gepirone ER; EXXUA™), an oral, selective serotonin (5HT)1A receptor agonist formulated for once-daily administration, has been developed by Fabre-Kramer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for the treatment of psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD). In September 2023, gepirone ER was approved in the USA for the treatment of adults with MDD. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of gepirone ER leading to this first approval for the treatment of adults with MDD.

Prophylactic Management of Women With Bipolar Disorder During Pregnancy and the Perinatal Period: Clinical Scenario-Based Practical Recommendations From A Group of Perinatal Psychiatry Authors

ABSTRACT

Many women with bipolar disorder experience episodes of illness or relapses over the perinatal period, especially in the immediate postpartum period. Risks associated with treated/untreated psychopathologies and fetal exposure to bipolar medications make the management of bipolar disorder during these periods challenging for clinicians and patients. In light of the available effectiveness and reproductive safety data, the current clinical update based on the opinions of a group of international perinatal psychiatry authors recommends general considerations and specific management strategies for each possible clinical scenario, including mixed features, predominant polarity, diagnosis of subtypes of bipolar disorder, severity of previous episodes, and risk of recurrence of mood episodes.

Improving the pharmacotherapeutic treatment of agitation associated with bipolar disorder

INTRODUCTION

Agitation is commonly encountered in people with bipolar disorder, particularly when experiencing a manic episode. The number of approved pharmacological agents to manage acute episodes of agitation in this population is limited.

AREAS COVERED

A search was conducted using the US National Library of Medicine PubMed.gov resource for English-language papers of clinical trials and reviews/meta-analyses, using the text words 'bipolar disorder' AND 'agitation,' as well as any papers with both two text words in the title, without any date restrictions.

EXPERT OPINION

Existing pharmacologic options approved by regulatory authorities for the treatment of acute episodes of agitation associated with bipolar disorder have similar degrees of efficacy but differ in their tolerability profiles and ease of use, giving clinicians an opportunity to individualize treatment. The goal is to treat mild-moderate agitation before it evolves into severe agitation, encouraging noninvasive pharmacologic treatment options. Inhaled loxapine and sublingual dexmedetomidine are newer options with rapid onset of action and may be preferable for patients willing to cooperate with treatment.

Efficacy of cognitive remediation in bipolar disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

A significant percentage of people with bipolar disorder (BD) exhibit suboptimal functional adjustment, even when appropriately treated and after symptomatic recovery is achieved. Given that cognitive impairment is one of the strongest correlates of socio-occupational outcomes and quality of life in BD, cognitive remediation (CR) is currently acknowledged as a promising treatment that could help bridge the gap between symptomatic and full functional recovery. The aim of this review was to explore the efficacy of CR approaches in improving cognitive and functional outcomes in BD patients. PubMed, PsycINFO, and CENTRAL were searched from inception to November 2022. Randomized controlled trials exploring the effects of CR on cognition and/or functional adjustment in adult BD patients were eligible. Ten studies based on seven independent trials (n = 586) were included. Change-score effect sizes (Hedges' g) were obtained for efficacy outcome measures and combined by means of meta-analytic procedures. Small but significant overall effects were observed for working memory (g = 0.32, 95% CI 0.11-0.52), planning (g = 0.30, 95% CI 0.03-0.56), and verbal learning (g = 0.40, 95% CI 0.15-0.66). However, CR was not found to exert any significant effects on functional outcomes at treatment completion or at follow-up assessment. Although CR may modestly enhance the cognitive performance of BD patients, this effect does not translate into an improvement at the functional level. The current data do not support the inclusion of CR as a treatment recommendation in clinical practice guidelines for the management of BD.

Lithium Dispensed for Adults Aged ≥ 50 Years Between 2012 and 2021: Analyses of a 10% Sample of the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

BACKGROUND

Lithium use seems to be declining in clinical practice. We examined the proportion of adults aged ≥ 50 years dispensed lithium between 2012 and 2021, and investigated the proportion of lithium users dispensed other medications.

METHODS

We used a 10% random sample data of the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from 2012 to 2021, and limited our analyses to adults aged ≥ 50 years. We retrieved data on lithium, other mood stabilisers, antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics and hypnotics, and medications for the treatment of other health systems.

RESULTS

We received 7081939 person-years records (53.2% women). The proportion of participants dispensed lithium decreased with age: 0.4% for those aged 50-59 years to < 0.1% for people aged ≥ 90 years. The dispensing of lithium increased over 10 years for those aged 50-69 and decreased in those older than 80 years. Among people dispensed lithium, nearly 1 in 5 were dispensed another mood stabiliser. Antipsychotics and antidepressants were dispensed to about 60% of participants dispensed lithium, with antidepressants dispensed more frequently to women than men. About 20% of people dispensed lithium were dispensed anxiolytics/hypnotics, more frequently for women than men. Medications to treat diseases of the alimentary, cardiovascular, endocrine and nervous systems were commonly dispensed to those dispensed lithium, as were antibiotics.

CONCLUSIONS

While the dispensing of lithium increased among young older adults since 2015 when guidelines for the management of mood disorders were published, our findings suggest that lithium may be under-utilised for the management of bipolar disorder in later life.

Difficult decision-making in major depressive disorder: Practical guidance based on clinical research and experience

OBJECTIVES

To extend current published guidance regarding the management of major depression in clinical practice, by examining complex cases that reflect real-world patients, and to integrate evidence and experience into recommendations.

METHODS

The authors who contributed to recently published clinical practice guidelines were invited to identify important gaps in extant guidance. Drawing on clinical experience and shared knowledge, they then generated four fictional case studies to illustrate the real-world complexities of managing mood disorders. The cases focussed specifically on issues that are not usually addressed in clinical practice guidelines.

RESULTS

The four cases are discussed in detail and each case is summarised using a life chart and accompanying information. The four cases reflect important real-world challenges that clinicians face when managing mood disorders in day-to-day clinical practice. To partly standardise the presentation of each case and for ease of reference we provide a Time Line, History Box and Management Chart, along with a synopsis where relevant. Discussion and formulation of the cases illustrate how to manage the complexities of each case and provide one possible pathway to achieving functional recovery.

CONCLUSION

These cases draw on the combined clinical experience of the authors and illustrate how to approach diagnostic decision-making when treating major depressive disorder and having to contend with complex presentations. The cases are designed to stimulate discussion and provide a real-world context for the formulation of mood disorders.

Burns Depression Scale Today (BDST): A validation study of BDST against the reference standard of PHQ-9

Background

Case finding for low mood is essential in primary care, but it is time-consuming using current depression inventories. The Burns Depression Scale Today (BDST) is a short, simple inventory which assesses mood for today, and we aimed to validate it in this study.

Materials and Methods

Consecutive patients with emotional distress seen in a single primary care clinic by one of the authors over 22 months were eligible for this retrospective audit (N = 160). Multiple visits (N = 421) from the same patient were included in the study. The index test was BDST, which assesses the patient's mood for today. The reference standard was the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), which assesses mood over the past 2 weeks. PHQ-9 had a cut-off point of ≥10 and BDST had a cut-off point of ≥6 for a significant mood issue.

Results

The median age of patients was 35 years, and 63% of the cohort were women. The median BDST score was 8, indicative of moderately low mood, and the median PHQ-9 score was 15, indicative of moderately severe depression. For patients with a BDST score ≥6, the likelihood ratio of a positive test was 2.67. The sensitivity was 85% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 89%-96%) and the specificity was 68% (95% CI: 60%-76%). The area under the curve was 84% (95% CI: 80%-87%).

Conclusion

This audit validates BDST against PHQ-9 and finds it an excellent case-finding tool compared to PHQ-9. This is the first validation study of BDST.

Diagnosis and management of bipolar disorders

Bipolar disorders (BDs) are recurrent and sometimes chronic disorders of mood that affect around 2% of the world's population and encompass a spectrum between severe elevated and excitable mood states (mania) to the dysphoria, low energy, and despondency of depressive episodes. The illness commonly starts in young adults and is a leading cause of disability and premature mortality. The clinical manifestations of bipolar disorder can be markedly varied between and within individuals across their lifespan. Early diagnosis is challenging and misdiagnoses are frequent, potentially resulting in missed early intervention and increasing the risk of iatrogenic harm. Over 15 approved treatments exist for the various phases of bipolar disorder, but outcomes are often suboptimal owing to insufficient efficacy, side effects, or lack of availability. Lithium, the first approved treatment for bipolar disorder, continues to be the most effective drug overall, although full remission is only seen in a subset of patients. Newer atypical antipsychotics are increasingly being found to be effective in the treatment of bipolar depression; however, their long term tolerability and safety are uncertain. For many with bipolar disorder, combination therapy and adjunctive psychotherapy might be necessary to treat symptoms across different phases of illness. Several classes of medications exist for treating bipolar disorder but predicting which medication is likely to be most effective or tolerable is not yet possible. As pathophysiological insights into the causes of bipolar disorders are revealed, a new era of targeted treatments aimed at causal mechanisms, be they pharmacological or psychosocial, will hopefully be developed. For the time being, however, clinical judgment, shared decision making, and empirical follow-up remain essential elements of clinical care. This review provides an overview of the clinical features, diagnostic subtypes, and major treatment modalities available to treat people with bipolar disorder, highlighting recent advances and ongoing therapeutic challenges.

Taiwan consensus on biological treatment of bipolar disorder during the acute, maintenance, and mixed phases: The 2022 update

BACKGROUND

Bipolar disorder is a mood dysregulation characterized by recurrent symptoms and episodes of mania, hypomania, depression, and mixed mood. The complexity of treating patients with bipolar disorder prompted the Taiwanese Society of Biological Psychiatry and Neuropsychopharmacology (TSBPN) to publish the first Taiwan consensus on pharmacological treatment of bipolar disorders in 2012. This paper presents the updated consensus, with changes in diagnostic criteria (i.e., mixed features) and emerging pharmacological evidence published up to April 2022.

METHODS

Our working group systemically reviewed the clinical research evidence and international guidelines and determined the levels of evidence for each pharmacological treatment on the basis of the most recent World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry grading system. Four clinical-specific issues were proposed. The current TSBPN Bipolar Taskforce then discussed research evidence and clinical experience related to each treatment option in terms of efficacy and acceptability and then appraised final recommendation grades through anonymous voting.

RESULTS

In the updated consensus, we include the pharmacological recommendations for bipolar disorder with mixed features considering its high prevalence, the severe clinical prognosis, and the absence of approved medications. Cariprazine, lurasidone, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, and ketamine are incorporated as treatment options. In the maintenance phase, the application of long-acting injectable antipsychotics is emphasized, and the hazards of using antidepressants and conventional antipsychotics are proposed.

CONCLUSIONS

This updated Taiwan consensus on pharmacological treatment for bipolar disorder provides concise evidence-based and empirical recommendations for clinical psychiatric practice. It may facilitate treatment outcome improvement in patients with bipolar disorder.

Development of a model to predict combined antidepressant medication and psychotherapy treatment response for depression among veterans

BACKGROUND

Although research shows that more depressed patients respond to combined antidepressants (ADM) and psychotherapy than either alone, many patients do not respond even to combined treatment. A reliable prediction model for this could help treatment decision-making. We attempted to create such a model using machine learning methods among patients in the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

METHODS

A 2018-2020 national sample of VHA patients beginning combined depression treatment completed self-report assessments at baseline and 3 months (n = 658). A learning model was developed using baseline self-report, administrative, and geospatial data to predict 3-month treatment response defined by reductions in the Quick Inventory of Depression Symptomatology Self-Report and/or in the Sheehan Disability Scale. The model was developed in a 70 % training sample and tested in the remaining 30 % test sample.

RESULTS

30.0 % of patients responded to treatment. The prediction model had a test sample AUC-ROC of 0.657. A strong gradient was found in probability of treatment response from 52.7 % in the highest predicted quintile to 14.4 % in the lowest predicted quintile. The most important predictors were episode characteristics (symptoms, comorbidities, history), personality/psychological resilience, recent stressors, and treatment characteristics.

LIMITATIONS

Restrictions in sample definition, a low recruitment rate, and reliance on patient self-report rather than clinician assessments to determine treatment response limited the generalizability of results.

CONCLUSIONS

A machine learning model could help depressed patients and providers predict likely response to combined ADM-psychotherapy. Parallel information about potential harms and costs of alternative treatments would be needed, though, to inform optimal treatment selection.

The experience of caregivers providing therapeutic patient education for people living with bipolar disorder: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Therapeutic patient education (TPE) programs are psycho-educational treatments suggested for all chronic diseases. For several years, these programs have been developing for people living with bipolar disorder. However, to date, only few qualitative studies have explored the experience of caregivers. We wanted to explore the experience of caregivers working in psychiatry as facilitators of a therapeutic education program for people living with bipolar disorder.

METHOD

A single-center qualitative study was carried out. We conducted an inductive exploration, examining the content of the discourse produced in a focus group of eight caregivers in therapeutic education. The corpus was transcribed manually and a thematic analysis was conducted by two authors in a blinded fashion before combining.

RESULTS

Four dimensions and twenty themes were identified: i) facilitators' pleasant experiences of the TPE sessions with a secure climate and a sense of belonging to a group, ii) being a TPE facilitator with a new horizontal and collaborative posture valuing the experiential knowledge, iii) the role of the TPE sessions with knowledge provision, empowerment and destigmatization, and iv) perceived changes in patients with an appeasement, the awareness of a shared experience, openness to others, a phenomenon of identification to peers and a new commitment.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The observations noted overlap with the elements of the personal recovery well known CHIME framework (Connectedness, Hope, positive Identity, Meaning in life and Empowerment). Therapeutic education is a developing form of psychosocial rehabilitation care: through the mobilization of a new attitude of caring, the facilitation of TPE programs could be a lever for changing the posture of caregivers in favor of supporting the personal recovery of people with bipolar disorder. These results would need to be confirmed by further studies.

Degree of exposure to psychotropic medications and mortality in people with bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the associations between psychotropic medication dosage and mortality in patients with bipolar disorder.

METHODS

A nationwide cohort of individuals aged ≥15 years who had received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in 2010 was identified from the Taiwanese national health-care database linked with the mortality registry and followed up for 5 years. The mean defined daily dose (DDD) of mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, antidepressants, and sedative-hypnotics was estimated, and survival analyses were conducted to assess the effects of degree of exposure to psychotropic medications on mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 49,298 individuals (29,048 female individuals, 58.92%) with bipolar disorder were included. Compared with individuals without exposure to mood stabilizers, those prescribed mood stabilizers had a decreased overall mortality risk, regardless of exposure dosage. By contrast, compared with a reference group with no exposure to antipsychotics, individuals using antipsychotics had dose-dependent, increased mortality in both overall causes of deaths and deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, with hazard ratios of 1.13 (95% CI: 1.21-1.42) in the low-dose (<0.5 DDD) group, 1.69 (1.51-1.90) in the moderate-dose (0.5-1.5 DDD) group, and 2.08 (1.69-2.57) in the high-dose (>1.5 DDD) group for overall mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

In sum, mood stabilizers were associated with decreased overall mortality in individuals with bipolar disorder, regardless of the dosage. However, the use of antipsychotics appeared to be associated with a dose-dependent increased mortality risk. Owing to study limitations, precise information on prior use of psychotropic medications, and patient's adherence to medication are not available. Potential adverse effects and benefits should be carefully considered when prescribing psychotropic medications for long-term use in patients with bipolar disorder.

Brain stimulation treatment for bipolar disorder

AIMS

Bipolar disorders are clinically complex, chronic and recurrent disorders. Few treatment options are effective across hypomanic, manic, depressive and mixed states and as continuation or maintenance treatment after initial symptom remission. The aim of this review was to provide an up-to-date overview of research on the efficacy, tolerability and cognitive effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), magnetic seizure therapy (MST), deep brain stimulation (DBS) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).

METHODS

References included in this review were identified through multiple searches of the Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE and APA PsycINFO electronic databases for articles published from inception until February 2022. Published reviews, meta-analyses, randomised controlled trials and recent studies were prioritised to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of research on brain stimulation in patients with bipolar disorders.

RESULTS

The evidence base for brain stimulation as an add-on or alternative to pharmacological and psychological treatments in patients with bipolar disorders is limited but rapidly expanding. Brain stimulation treatments represent an opportunity to treat all bipolar disorder states, including cognitive dysfunction during euthymic periods.

CONCLUSION

Whilst findings to date have been encouraging, larger randomised controlled trials with long-term follow-up are needed to clarify important questions regarding treatment efficacy and tolerability, the frequency of treatment-emergent affective switches and effects on cognitive function.

Comparison of antipsychotic dose equivalents for acute bipolar mania and schizophrenia

QUESTION

Are antipsychotic dose equivalents between acute mania and schizophrenia the same?

STUDY SELECTION AND ANALYSIS

Six databases were systematically searched (from inception to 17 September 2022) to identify blinded randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that used a flexible-dose oral antipsychotic drug for patients with acute mania. The mean and SD of the effective dose and the pre-post changes in manic symptoms were extracted. A network meta-analysis (NMA) under a frequentist framework was performed to examine the comparative efficacy between the antipsychotics. A classic mean dose method (sample size weighted) was used to calculate each antipsychotic dose equivalent to 1 mg/day olanzapine for acute mania. The antipsychotic dose equivalents of acute mania were compared with published data for schizophrenia.

FINDINGS

We included 42 RCTs which enrolled 11 396 participants with acute mania. The NMA showed that risperidone was superior to olanzapine (reported standardised mean difference: -022, 95% CI -0.41 to -0.02), while brexpiprazole was inferior to olanzapine (standardised mean difference: 0.36, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.64). The dose equivalents to olanzapine (with SD) were 0.68 (0.23) for haloperidol, 0.32 (0.07) for risperidone, 0.60 (0.11) for paliperidone, 8.00 (1.41) for ziprasidone, 41.46 (5.98) for quetiapine, 1.65 (0.32) for aripiprazole, 1.23 (0.20) for asenapine, 0.53 (0.14) for cariprazine and 0.22 (0.03) for brexpiprazole. Compared with the olanzapine dose equivalents for schizophrenia, those of acute mania were higher for quetiapine (p<0.001, 28.5%) and aripiprazole (p<0.001, 17.0%), but lower for haloperidol (p<0.001, -8.1%) and risperidone (p<0.001, -15.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

Antipsychotic drugs have been considered first-line treatment for acute mania, warranting specific dose equivalence for scientific and clinical purposes.

Long-Term Lithium Therapy: Side Effects and Interactions

Lithium remains the drug of first choice for prophylactic treatment of bipolar disorder, preventing the recurrences of manic and depressive episodes. The longitudinal experiences with lithium administration greatly exceed those with other mood stabilizers. Among the adverse side effects of lithium, renal, gastrointestinal, neurological, thyroid, metabolic, cognitive, dermatological, cardiologic, and sexual are listed. Probably, the most important negative effect of lithium, occurring mostly after 10-20 years of its administration, is interstitial nephropathy. Beneficial side-effects of long-term lithium therapy also occur such as anti-suicidal, antiviral, and anti-dementia ones. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions of lithium, mostly those with other drugs, may have an impact on the success of long-term lithium treatment. This paper makes the narrative updated review of lithium-induced side-effects and interactions that may influence its prophylactic effect in bipolar disorder. Their description, mechanisms, and management strategies are provided. The papers appearing in recent years focused mainly on the long-term lithium treatment are reviewed in detail, including recent research performed at Department of Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland. Their own observations on ultra-long lithium treatment of patients with bipolar disorder are also presented. The review can help psychiatrists to perform a successful lithium prophylaxis in bipolar patients.

Real-World Clinical Practice Among Patients With Bipolar Disorder and Chronic Kidney Disease on Long-term Lithium Therapy

PURPOSE

Long-term lithium therapy (LTLT) has been associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We investigated changes in clinical characteristics, pharmacotherapeutic treatments for medical/psychiatric disorders, and outcomes among patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and CKD on LTLT in a 2-year mirror-image study design.

METHODS

Adult BD patients on LTLT for ≥1 year who enrolled in the Mayo Clinic Bipolar Disorder Biobank and developed CKD (stage 3) were included, and our study was approved by the Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board. The primary outcome was the time to the first mood episode after CKD diagnosis among the lithium (Li) continuers and discontinuers. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the time to the first mood episode. We tested for differences in other medication changes between the Li continuers and discontinuers group using Mantel-Haenszel χ2 tests (linear associations).

RESULTS

Of 38 BD patients who developed CKD, 18 (47%) discontinued Li, and the remainder continued (n = 20). The median age of the cohort was 56 years (interquartile range [IQR], 48-67 years), 63.2% were female, and 97.4% were White. As compared with continuers, discontinuers had more psychotropic medication trials (6 [IQR, 4-6] vs 3 [IQR, 2-5], P = 0.02), a higher rate of 1 or more mood episodes (61% vs 10%, P = 0.002), and a higher risk of a mood episode after CKD diagnoses (Hazard Ratio, 8.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.85-38.0 [log-rank P = 0.001]].

CONCLUSIONS

Bipolar disorder patients on LTLT who discontinued Li had a higher risk for relapse and a shorter time to the first mood episode, suggesting a need for more thorough discussion before Li discontinuation after the CKD diagnosis.

Identifying Future Study Designs for Mental Health and Social Wellbeing Associated with Diets of a Cohort Living in Eco-Regions: Findings from the INSUM Expert Workshop

Diets influence our mental health and social wellbeing (MHSW) in multiple ways. A rising community concept, Eco-Regions, has gained interest. The research project "Indicators for assessment of health effects of consumption of sustainable, organic school meals in Ecoregions" (INSUM) aims to develop future-oriented research approaches to measure the potential health effects of more sustainable and healthy diets. This first part of the project focuses on MHSW with the goal to identify suitable study designs and indicators. The methodology is based on a 2-day workshop with an interdisciplinary group of experts. This paper describes commonly applied research methods on the nexus between diet and MHSW as presented by the experts and summarises key points from the discussions. The results show that the dominating tool to investigate MSHW is questionnaires. Questionnaires vary largely depending on the research design, such as participants or distribution channels. Cohort studies addressing families and including in-depth interventional and/or experimental studies may be suitable for an Eco-Region investigation. Those MHSW studies can be conducted and combined with measurements of somatic health effects. We conclude that indicators should be seen as complementary rather than independent. Explorative research designs are required to investigate complex Eco-Regions.

Complex polypharmacy in bipolar disorder: Results from a real-world inpatient psychiatric unit

BACKGROUND

Multiple medications are frequently prescribed to patients with bipolar disorder (BD). The aim of the present study was to identify sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with complex polypharmacy in patients affected by BD.

METHODS

556 patients with BD were included. A semi-structured interview was used to collect sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, as well as pharmacological treatment. Participants were divided in two groups, abased on the use of complex polypharmacy (i.e., a combination of 4 or more psychotropic medications). Differences between the two groups were evaluated with t-test and chi-squared test. A stepwise logistic regression was then applied to identify factors significantly associated with complex polypharmacy.

RESULTS

Patients with BD and complex polypharmacy were more likely to be single and unemployed. Moreover, earlier age at onset, longer duration of illness, higher number of hospitalizations, higher prevalence of medical and psychiatric comorbidity, and the use of illicit substances (except heroin) were associated with complex polypharmacy. In the logistic regression model, single status, older age, number of hospitalizations, and the presence of psychiatric comorbidities were regarded as factors significantly associated with complex polypharmacy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings reflect the need to develop clear guidelines for the long-term management of BD, especially when pharmacological discontinuation is needed.

Electroconvulsive therapy following incident bipolar disorder: When, how, and for whom?

OBJECTIVE

The use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD) remains poorly described. Based on data from Danish registries with complete nationwide coverage, this study of patients with incident BD aimed to describe when, how, and for whom ECT is used in the context of BD.

METHODS

We identified patients receiving their first diagnosis of BD in the period from 2008 to 2018, who subsequently received ECT. Descriptive statistics were used to clarify when, how, and for whom ECT is used.

RESULTS

We identified 1338 patients with incident BD who subsequently received ECT. The median age at the first ECT session was 50.6 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 26.4), and 62% of those treated with ECT were female. The median time from the diagnosis of BD to the first ECT treatment was 0.6 years (IQR: 2.6), and 58% of the patients receiving ECT had the first treatment within the first year after being diagnosed with BD. The most common indication for the first ECT treatment was depression (mainly non-psychotic depression), followed by mania (mainly psychotic mania). The first ECT session was typically provided to inpatients (97%), upon patient consent (98%) and with bilateral electrode placement (60%).

CONCLUSIONS

A substantial proportion of the patients with incident BD who receive ECT require this treatment within the first year after the diagnosis. The most common indication for ECT is depression followed by (psychotic) mania. Inpatient voluntary ECT using bilateral electrode placement is the most common form of administration.

Prescribing changes for bipolar patients discharged from two public psychiatric hospitals in Taiwan, 2006-2019

BACKGROUND

For bipolar disorder, a severe, recurring mental disorder, pharmacotherapy is a cornerstone of effective treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate prescribing changes among patients with bipolar disorder discharged from two public psychiatric hospitals in Taiwan over a 14-year period.

METHODS

Patients with bipolar disorder discharged from the two study hospitals between 2006 and 2019 (n = 9071) were included in the analysis. Prescribed drugs for the treatment of bipolar disorder, including mood stabilizers (i.e., lithium, valproate, carbamazepine, and lamotrigine), any antipsychotics (i.e., second- and first-generation antipsychotics; SGAs & FGAs), and any antidepressants, were examined. Complex polypharmacy was defined as the use of 3 or more agents among the prescribed drugs. Temporal trends of each prescribing pattern were analyzed using the Cochran-Armitage Trend test.

RESULTS

The prescription rates of SGAs, any antidepressants, antidepressant monotherapy, antidepressants without mood stabilizers, and complex polypharmacy significantly increased over time, whereas the prescription rates of any mood stabilizers, lithium, carbamazepine, FGAs, and antidepressants plus mood stabilizers significantly decreased.

LIMITATIONS

Treatment allocation is not randomized in a retrospective study. The diagnoses of bipolar disorder were based on clinical judgments. This was a hospital-based study.

CONCLUSIONS

Substantial prescribing changes took place during the study period. The decreased use of lithium and the increased use of antidepressants were not in accordance with the evidence-based treatment and recommendations in treatment guidelines. Therefore, long-term outcomes of prescribing changes should be explored in the future.

Variability and efficacy in treatment effects on manic symptoms with lithium, anticonvulsants, and antipsychotics in acute bipolar mania: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Acute mania is a psychiatric emergency requiring rapid management. However, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have shown considerable individual differences in treatment effects on manic symptoms with antimanic drugs.

METHODS

We searched the MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and ClinicalTrials.gov to identify RCTs without language restrictions from inception to April 19, 2022. We included double-blind RCTs of oral antimanic monotherapy versus placebo in adult patients. The primary outcome was variability in improvement of manic symptoms (assessed using the coefficient of variation ratio [CVR]). The secondary outcomes were overall improvement of manic symptoms and acceptability (i.e., discontinuation for any reason). The pooled effects of outcomes were calculated by random-effects meta-analyses using restricted maximum likelihood methods. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias (ROB) Assessment Tool. This study was registered with OSF (DOI:10.17605/OSF.IO/G4JNY).

FINDINGS

We included 39 RCTs (N=12150; mean age=39·9 years, interquartile range [IQR]=38·7-41·1; mean proportion of female=48·6%, IQR=42·3%-52·3%) and investigated 14 antimanic drugs. We found that eight antimanic drugs compared to placebo were associated with lower CVRs (95% confidence interval [CI]; I²), including risperidone (0·51; 0·37-0·70; 0%), haloperidol (0·54; 0·44-0·67; 4%), olanzapine (0·59; 0·44-0·79; 47%), ziprasidone (0·61; 0·53-0·71; 0%), lithium (0·63; 0·52-0·76; 0%), quetiapine (0·65; 0·48-0·87; 2%), aripiprazole (0·68; 0·56-0·84; 25%), and cariprazine (0·70; 0·49-0·99; 28%). There were nine antimanic drugs associated with greater efficacy than placebo, including risperidone (reported as standardised mean difference; 95% CI; I²: 0·64; 0·31-0·97; 15%), haloperidol (0·57; 0·29-0·85; 64%), cariprazine (0·51; 0·24-0·78; 0%), olanzapine (0·44; 0·30-0·58; 0%), lithium (0·42; 0·29-0·55; 0%), ziprasidone (0·42; 0·26-0·58; 0%), quetiapine (0·40; 0·13-0·67; 0%), asenapine (0·40; 0·13-0·67; 0%), and aripiprazole (0·32; 0·14-0·49; 53%). Ziprasidone (reported as risk ratio; 95% CI; I²: 0·83; 0·79-0·89; 0%) and olanzapine (0·63; 0·49-0·80; 35%) were associated with better acceptability relative to placebo. Among the 39 RCTs, none had a high ROB.

INTERPRETATION

We demonstrated that eight antimanic drugs were associated with lower variability and better efficacy than placebo, suggesting that these antimanic drugs were associated with more homogenous and predictable improvements of manic symptoms in patients with acute mania.

FUNDING

The study was supported by from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST-110-2314-B-016-035, MOST-111-2314-B-016-054), Medical Affairs Bureau (MND-MAB-D-111102), and Tri-service General Hospital (TSGH-E-111229).

Korean Medication Algorithm Project for Bipolar Disorder 2022, Fifth Revision: An Executive Summary

OBJECTIVE

We revised the Korean Medication Algorithm Project for Bipolar Disorder (KMAP-BP), first published in 2002 and revised in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018, to reflect recent progress in the treatment of bipolar disorder.

METHODS

The questionnaires consisted of 56 items for adult patients and 7 items for child/adolescent patients, and were used to obtain the consensus of experts regarding pharmacological treatment strategies for various phases of bipolar disorder. The review committee included 87 Korean psychiatrists and 40 child and adolescent psychiatry experts.

RESULTS

For treatment of manic episodes, a combination of a mood stabilizer (MS) and atypical antipsychotics (AAP), or monotherapy with MS or AAP were recommended as first-line treatments. Combinations of MS and AAP, or AAP and lamotrigine (LMT) were recommended as first-line treatments for depressive episodes regardless of the severity. Monotherapy with MS, AAP, or LMT were also first-line treatments for mild to moderate depressive episodes. For mixed features, a combination of MS and AAP, or monotherapy with AAP or MS were recommended as first-line treatments, and a combination of AAP and LMT, or MS and LMT were the first-line treatments for depressive mixed state.

CONCLUSION

The recommendations of the KMAP-BP 2022 have changed from the previous version, to reflect the evolution of the social culture and healthcare system in Korea and recent evidence regarding pharmacotherapy of bipolar disorder. The KMAP-BP 2022 provides clinicians with a wealth of information regarding appropriate strategies to treat patients with bipolar disorder.

Why lithium should be used in patients with bipolar disorder? A scoping review and an expert opinion paper

INTRODUCTION

Lithium treatment is considered the gold standard for the long-term management of bipolar disorder and recurrent unipolar depression. It is also extremely effective in other psychiatric conditions characterized by impulsivity and aggression, and for the prevention of suicidal behaviours.

AREAS COVERED

This paper provides a scoping review and an expert commentary regarding the use of lithium in adult patients. Available information about efficacy, tolerability, dosing, and switching is analyzed, and the strategies that may be most useful in real-world clinical settings are highlighted.

EXPERT OPINION

Lithium is effective on different domains of bipolar disorder, including the long-term prevention of recurrences of affective episodes, management of acute mania as well as in the prophylaxis of all affective episodes. Lithium has been defined a 'forgotten drug,' since its use in routine clinical practice has been declined over the last 20 or 30 years. Reasons for this trend include lack of adequate training on the management of lithium side effects. Considering its efficacy, use of lithium in ordinary clinical practice should be promoted. Several strategies, such as using slow-release formulations, can be easily implemented in order to minimize lithium side effects and improve its tolerability profile.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of treatments for rapid cycling bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVES

Rapid cycling is a common and disabling phenomenon in individuals with bipolar disorders. In the absence of a recent literature examination, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesise the evidence of efficacy, acceptability and tolerability of treatments for individuals with rapid cycling bipolar disorder (RCBD).

METHOD

A systematic search was conducted to identify randomised controlled trials assigning participants with RCBD to pharmacological and/or non-pharmacological interventions. Study inclusion and data extraction were undertaken by two reviewers independently. The primary outcome was continuous within-subject RCBD illness severity before and after treatment. Pre-post random effects meta-analyses were conducted for each outcome/intervention arm studied, generating a standardised effect size (hedge's g) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

A total of 34 articles describing 30 studies were included. A total of 16 separate pharmacological treatments were examined in contrast to 1 psychological therapy study. Only quetiapine and lamotrigine were assessed in >5 studies. By assessing 95% CI overlap of within-subject efficacy effects compared to placebo, the only interventions suggesting significant depression benefits (placebo g = 0.60) were olanzapine (with/without fluoxetine; g = 1.01), citalopram (g = 1.10) and venlafaxine (g = 2.48). For mania, benefits were indicated for quetiapine (g = 1.01), olanzapine (g = 1.19) and aripiprazole (g = 1.09), versus placebo (g = 0.33). Most of these effect sizes were from only one trial per treatment. Heterogeneity between studies was variable, and 20% were rated to have a high risk of bias.

CONCLUSIONS

While many interventions appeared efficacious, there was a lack of robust evidence for most treatments. Given the limited and heterogeneous evidence base, the optimal treatment strategies for people with RCBD are yet to be established.

A case of mood disorder with severe side effects of antidepressants in association with resistance to thyroid hormone beta with a THRB mutation

Background

Although resistance to thyroid hormone beta (RTHβ) is associated with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder, there are few reports of other concomitant mood disorders in individuals with RTHβ.

Case presentation

A 67‐year‐old woman who had been previously diagnosed with RTHβ (Refetoff syndrome) came to our department as a depressed patient. She was hospitalized twice for depression and treated with antidepressants both times. Paroxetine (37.5 mg/day) treatment during the first hospitalization did not cause any side effects, but treatment with mirtazapine (15 mg/day) and venlafaxine (150 mg/day) during the second hospitalization caused clonus and disturbance of consciousness, and these adverse effects resulted in a prolonged period of hospitalization. Finally, the patient’s symptoms were controlled with quetiapine (75 mg/day).

Conclusion

Poor tolerability to antidepressants was observed, which may be related to thyroid hormone intolerance. Low doses of quetiapine may contribute to improvements in depression.

Sexual dysfunction among males and females with bipolar disorder and healthy subjects: The burden of illness severity

OBJECTIVES

Sexual dysfunction has wide-ranging impacts on the person's functioning and quality of life, being associated with higher severity of psychiatric illnesses and poor therapeutic response. Given the paucity of data on this topic in bipolar disorder (BD), we investigated sexual functioning among males and females with BD and healthy controls (HCs) as well as whether illness severity markers and subthreshold mood symptoms were associated with sexual dysfunctions in BD patients.

METHODS

The study included 80 BD outpatients and 70 HCs. Sexual functioning was evaluated using the validated, gender-specific Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (CSFQ-14).

RESULTS

BD patients had a significantly poorer sexual functioning than HCs (p < 0.00001). The odds of sexual dysfunction doubled given a one-unit increase in the number of suicide attempts (adjusted OR = 2.01, 95% CI:1.23-3.55; p < 0.01) and increased by 60% for every additional hospitalization (p < 0.05). Greater illness duration was associated with arousal/orgasmic (p < 0.05) and overall sexual dysfunctions (p < 0.01). BD patients with more mixed or (hypo)manic episodes had a lower likelihood of libido loss and arousal/orgasmic disturbances (p < 0.01), respectively. Higher levels of subthreshold depressive symptoms increased by 20% the odds of sexual interest/frequency dysfunctions (p < 0.05), and up to 60% regarding orgasmic disturbances (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Sexual functioning may be a useful proxy of illness severity as well as a relevant dimension to more deeply characterize BD patients. Further studies are warranted to replicate our findings, to evaluate temporal associations between sexual dysfunctions and illness severity across the BD mood and treatment spectrums and to explore neurobiological underpinnings of these associations.

ECT on a world map - a narrative review of the use of electroconvulsive therapy and its frequency in the world

Introduction: Since implementation, electroconvulsive therapy has remained very effective treatment in psychiatry. The aim of this study is to present the differences in its use in medical practice around the world. The range of diseases in which ECT is most commonly used and the frequency of its use in different countries were compared with special attention to the differences between highly and poorly developed countries.

Material and method: Review of literature by searching PubMed and Google Scholar databases using the keywords: indications of ECT, frequency of ECT use for papers published from 1991 to 2021.

Results: Among the diseases for which electroconvulsive therapy is used worldwide, major depression dominates, while in Asia and Africa this therapy is used in schizophrenia. In Latin America it is used primarily for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In Poland, it is used for depression, bipolar disorder, and fewer for schizophrenia. The highest rate of people treated with therapy per 100,000 population is found in countries such as the USA (51), Canada (23.2-25.6), Australia (37.85), Sweden (41), Finland (23), Slovakia (29.2), Estonia (27.8) and Belgium (47).

Conclusions: There is a relationship between the range of diseases most frequently treated with ECT, the frequency of use and the level of country development. In the high developed countries, ECT is used mainly in major depression, in less developed countries more frequent treatment of schizophrenia may be determined by the high cost of medications and limited availability of hospital beds. The highest rates of use of this therapy are found in more developed countries.

Mood Stabilizers and Antipsychotics for Acute Mania: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Augmentation Therapy vs Monotherapy From the Perspective of Time to the Onset of Treatment Effects

BACKGROUND

Existing meta-analytic evidence on bipolar mania treatment has revealed that augmentation therapy (AUG) with antipsychotics and mood stabilizers is more effective than monotherapy. However, the speed of the onset of treatment effects and subsequent changes in risk/benefit are unclear.

METHODS

We searched the Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases until January 2021. Our primary outcomes were response and tolerability. We set 3 time points: 1, 3, and 6 weeks after randomization.

RESULTS

Seventeen studies compared AUG therapy and MS monotherapy (comparison 1), and 8 studies compared AUG therapy and antipsychotics monotherapy (comparison 2). In comparison 1, AUG therapy resulted in significantly more responses than monotherapy, with an odds ratio of 1.45 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17 to 1.80) at 3 weeks and 1.59 (95% CI: 1.28 to 1.99) at 6 weeks. Significant improvement was observed in the first week with a standardized mean difference of -0.25 (95% CI: -0.38 to -0.12). In comparison 2, AUG therapy was significantly more effective than monotherapy, with an odds ratio of 1.73 (95% CI: 1.25 to 2.40) at 3 weeks and 1.74 (95% CI: 1.11 to 2.73) at 6 weeks. Significant improvement was observed in the first week with an standardized mean difference of -0.23 (95% CI: -0.39 to -0.07). Regarding tolerability, there was no significant difference between AUG therapy and monotherapy at 3 and 6 weeks in both comparisons.

CONCLUSIONS

Early AUG therapy should be considered, as it has shown efficacy from weeks 1 to 6, although attention to side effects is necessary for acute mania treatment.

Differences between bipolar disorder types 1 and 2 support the DSM two-syndrome concept

Objective

To compare characteristics of bipolar disorder patients diagnosed as DSM-5 types I (BD-1) vs. II (BD-2).

Methods

We compared descriptive, psychopathological, and treatment characteristics in a sample of 1377 consenting, closely and repeatedly evaluated adult BD patient-subjects from a specialty clinic, using bivariate methods and logistic multivariable modeling.

Results

Factors found more among BD-2 > BD-1 cases included: [a] descriptors (more familial affective disorder, older at onset, diagnosis and first-treatment, more education, employment and higher socioeconomic status, more marriage and children, and less obesity); [b] morbidity (more general medical diagnoses, less drug abuse and smoking, more initial depression and less [hypo]mania or psychosis, longer episodes, higher intake depression and anxiety ratings, less mood-switching with antidepressants, less seasonal mood-change, greater %-time depressed and less [hypo]manic, fewer hospitalizations, more depression-predominant polarity, DMI > MDI course-pattern, and less violent suicidal behavior); [c] specific item-scores with initial HDRS₂₁ (higher scores for depression, guilt, suicidality, insomnia, anxiety, agitation, gastrointestinal symptoms, hypochondriasis and weight-loss, with less psychomotor retardation, depersonalization, or paranoia); and [d] treatment (less use of lithium or antipsychotics, more antidepressant and benzodiazepine treatment).

Conclusions

BD-2 was characterized by more prominent and longer depressions with some hypomania and mixed-features but not mania and rarely psychosis. BD-2 subjects had higher socioeconomic and functional status but also high levels of long-term morbidity and suicidal risk. Accordingly, BD-2 is dissimilar to, but not necessarily less severe than BD-1, consistent with being distinct syndromes.

Effectiveness of dietary interventions in mental health treatment: A rapid review of reviews

Aim

This rapid review of reviews aimed to determine the extent of research undertaken on the effectiveness of dietary interventions for individuals with a mental disorder.

Methods

Three databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Reviews and Cochrane Trials) were searched to February 2021 for systematic reviews including experimental studies assessing the effectiveness of dietary interventions with physical or mental health related outcomes in adults or children with one or more of: severe mental illness, depression or anxiety, eating disorders, or substance use disorder. Results are presented descriptively.

Results

The number of included reviews was 46 (67% in severe mental illness, 20% in depression and anxiety, 7% in eating disorders, and 7% in substance use disorders). Most reviews were published since 2016 (59%), and included studies conducted in adults (63%). Interventions in the eating disorders and severe mental illness reviews were predominantly education and behaviour change, whereas interventions in the substance use disorders, and depression and anxiety reviews were predominantly supplementation (e.g. omega‐3). Twenty‐eight and twelve of the reviews respectively reported mental health and dietary outcomes for one or more included studies. Most reviews in severe mental illness, and depression and anxiety reported conclusions supporting the positive effects of dietary intervention, including positive effects on weight‐related or mental health outcomes, and on mental health outcomes, respectively.

Conclusions

A larger number of systematic reviews were identified which evaluated dietary interventions in individuals with severe mental illness, and depression and anxiety, compared with substance use disorders, and eating disorders. Dietary intervention is an important component of the treatment that should be available to individuals living with mental disorders, to support their physical and mental health.

Response to lithium and anticonvulsants among patients with bipolar disorder with and without comorbid epilepsy - A nation-wide population-based longitudinal study

OBJECTIVE

In a nation-wide population-based longitudinal register linkage study for the first time 1) to investigate long-term response to lithium in patients with bipolar disorder with and without comorbid epilepsy, and 2) within patients with bipolar disorder and comorbid epilepsy to compare differences in responses between lithium, valproate and lamotrigine.

METHODS

We used Danish nation-wide population-based longitudinal register linkage to identify 154 patients with bipolar disorder and comorbid epilepsy and 8381 patients with bipolar disorder without comorbid epilepsy during a study period from 1995 to 2017. Response was defined as continuous monotherapy with lithium, valproate or lamotrigine without switch to or add-on of an antipsychotic drug or an antidepressant or hospitalization during an up to ten-year follow-up period. We calculated standardized absolute risks and differences thereof with respect to age, gender, socioeconomic status and comorbidity with other physical disorders than epilepsy.

RESULTS

Response to lithium was decreased in patients with bipolar disorder with versus without comorbid epilepsy during the ten-year follow-up period and the difference remained after standardization for comorbidity with other physical disorders than epilepsy. Within patients with bipolar disorder and comorbid epilepsy, response to lithium was decreased compared with responses to valproate and lamotrigine.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that valproate and lamotrigine should be given priority in patients with comorbid bipolar disorder and epilepsy. The study highlights the need for closely clinical monitoring and psychological support for patients with bipolar disorder and comorbid epilepsy and emphasize the need for further long-term studies of effect of interventions.

Comorbidity and familial aggregation of back/neck pain in the NIMH Family Study of Affective Spectrum Disorders

OBJECTIVE

Back pain is associated with substantial Global Burden of Disease and is highly comorbid with mood and anxiety symptoms and syndromes. However, mechanisms underlying this association have not been well-elucidated. Here we apply data from the NIMH Family Study of Affective Spectrum Disorders to investigate the comorbidity, familial aggregation, and cross-aggregation of back/neck pain with mood disorder subtypes.

METHODS

The sample includes 519 probands and 560 interviewed first-degree relatives. Lifetime DSM-IV Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and Major Depressive Disorder [MDD] were derived from semi-structured diagnostic interviews. Lifetime history of back or neck pain and its age of onset were self-reported retrospectively. Familial aggregation and cross-aggregation were estimated via mixed effects models in probands and interviewed first-degree relatives, while heritability and co-heritability (endophenotypic ranking value [ERV]) were estimated using full pedigrees.

RESULTS

Over 45% of participants endorsed a history of back/neck pain. Back/neck pain was familial (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.5, p = 0.04; h2 = 0.24, p = 0.009). Back/neck pain in probands was associated with MDD in relatives (aOR 1.5, p = 0.04; ERV = 0.17, p = 0.024), but not with bipolar disorder. Onset of back/neck pain occurred earlier in those with bipolar disorder compared to controls.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest common familial risk factors underlying back/neck pain with MDD, whereas there was within-individual comorbidity of bipolar with back/neck pain. Future studies that identify common factors that lead to either back/neck pain or MDD can inform prevention and interventions.

Antidepressant prescribing patterns in Australia

BACKGROUND

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists clinical practice guidelines for mood disorders (MDcpg²⁰¹⁵ and MDcpg²⁰²⁰) provide evidence-based and consensus-based recommendations for managing mood disorders.

AIMS

We examined Australian real-world prescribing habits to determine whether management in clinical practice aligned with MDcpg²⁰¹⁵ recommendations.

METHOD

A retrospective analysis of a cohort of patients ≥16 years old who had been dispensed a Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)-listed antidepressant between July 2013 and June 2019 was conducted using Australian Commonwealth Department of Human Services PBS 10% sample data.

RESULTS

Between July 2013 and June 2019, 239 944 patients in Australia commenced antidepressant treatment. Of these, 22% (52 694 patients) received a second treatment (a new class of treatment after a period of discontinuation or additional antipsychotic therapy) and 6% (15 741 patients) received a third treatment. Patients were initially prescribed primarily selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs; 52% of prescriptions) or tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs; 25%), even though TCAs are not recommended for first-line treatment. Fewer than one-quarter of patients were prescribed serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (13%) or other agents (10%). General practitioners (GPs) were more likely to initiate TCAs than psychiatrists (22% v. 7%).Once initiated, the overall median time patients remained on treatment was 4.5 months; this was highest with SSRIs (5.8 months) and lowest with TCAs (0.9 months).

CONCLUSIONS

First-line prescribing broadly follows guidelines. GP and psychiatrist prescribing patterns differ, perhaps reflecting different patient groups and the need to tailor treatment to individuals. Future guidelines should aim to capture the different presentations and complexity of depression.

Use of a point-of-care web-based application to enhance adherence to the CANMAT and ISBD 2018 guidelines for the management of bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVES

While clinical guidelines exist for the management of bipolar disorder (BD), there are significant challenges to their widespread dissemination and implementation in clinical practice. The Canadian Network of Mood and Anxiety Treatment Improving Patient Care and Outcomes in the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder (C-IMPACT BD) web-based application was developed for use at the point-of-care to improve adherence to guidelines for evidence-based pharmacological management of BD.

METHODS

C-IMPACT BD uses a point-of-care practice assessment which, via adaptive questioning of patient-specific information, text/video descriptions of the guidelines, and pop-up prompts delivers personalized, evidence-based treatment recommendations for patients with BD. In order to inform quality improvement of the newly developed tool, a sample of Canadian physicians were invited to use the application and record its influence on their prescribing behavior.

RESULTS

Of 375 patients with bipolar I (BD-I) or bipolar II (BD-II) disorder for whom a point-of-care practice assessment was completed, a change in therapy was considered for 225 (60.0%). Prior to completing the assessment, 59.6% of these patients were receiving first-line therapy recommended for their phase of illness. Following the assessment, the overall number of patients for whom a first-line recommended therapy was being considered increased significantly to 76.9% (p = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Outcomes suggest that the C-IMPACT BD web-based application has the potential to improve physician adherence to clinical treatment guidelines. Formal research investigations are warranted to explore the impact of this tool on physician prescribing behavior and patient outcomes.

Is cognitive behaviour therapy applicable to individuals diagnosed with bipolar depression or suboptimal mood stabilizer treatment: a secondary analysis of a large pragmatic effectiveness trial

Background

Efficacy trials of medications and/or psychological interventions for bipolar disorders (BD) aim to recruit homogenous samples of patients who are euthymic and such populations show high levels of adherence to the treatments offered. This study describes a secondary analysis of a large-scale multi-centre pragmatic effectiveness randomized controlled trial (RCT) of cognitive behaviour therapy plus treatment as usual (CBT) or treatment as usual alone (TAU) and explores outcomes in individuals who were: (i) recruited in depressive episodes, or (ii) receiving suboptimal doses of or no mood stabilizers (MS).

Methods

Data were extract on two separate subsamples (out of 253 RCT participants). Sample 1 comprised 67 individuals in a depressive episode (CBT: 34; TAU: 33); Sample 2 comprised 39 individuals receiving suboptimal MS treatment (CBT: 19; TAU: 20). Survival analyses (adjusted for confounding variables) were used to explore recovery in Sample 1 and relapse in Sample 2.

Results

In Sample 1 (individuals with depression), Cox proportional hazards regression model revealed that the median time to recovery was significantly shorter in the CBT group (10 weeks; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 8, 17) compared to the TAU group (17 weeks; 95% CI 9, 30) [Adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.89; 95% CI 1.04, 3.4; p < 0.035]. In Sample 2 (suboptimal MS), the median time to any relapse was significantly longer in the CBT group compared to the TAU group (~ 35 versus ~ 20 weeks; Adjusted HR 2.01; 95% CI 1.01, 3.96; p < 0.05) with the difference in survival time to first depressive relapse also reaching statistical significance (X² = 14.23, df 6, p 0.027).

Conclusions

Adjunctive use of CBT appears to have benefits for individuals diagnosed with BD who are highly representative of the patients seen in routine clinical practice, but often excluded from efficacy RCTs. However, as this is a secondary analysis of 42% of the original RCT sample, it is important to replicate these findings in independent larger scale studies specifically designed for purpose.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40345-022-00259-3.

Relationship of free thyroxine and triiodothyronine on recurrence in maintenance therapy for bipolar depression

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether thyroid function in the normal range is associated with recurrence of depressive or mania in bipolar disorder patients.

METHODS

104 patients with bipolar disorder in maintenance therapy phase were assigned randomly to mood stabilizer combined with antidepressant group or mood stabilizer group. There were 52 patients in both groups respectively. Clinical symptoms were assessed at baseline, 3rd month, 6th month, 9th month, and 12th month using HAMD-17 and YMRS. Blood samples were analyzed for thyroid function.

RESULTS

There was no statistically significant difference of recurrence rate of depressive episode and mania episode at the end of the 12-months between mood stabilizer combined with antidepressant group and mood stabilizer group. There was significant relation of baseline TT4 (P = 0.020, HR = 0.948), FT3 (P = 0.035, HR = 2.055), and FT4 (P = 0.047, OR=0.769) with the recurrence of depressive episode in mood stabilizer group. The area under curve (AUC) of TT4, FT3, FT4 were 0.685, 0.613, 0.544, respectively. There was significant relation of baseline FT3 (P = 0.044，HR = 4.493) with the recurrence of mania episode for mood stabilizer combined with antidepressants group. The AUC of FT3 was 0.806.

CONCLUSION

Low level of TT4, FT4 and high level of FT3 within normal-range were related with the recurrence of depressive episode in the maintenance treatment with mood stabilizer of bipolar disorder. High level of FT3 within normal-range were related with recurrence of mania when mood stabilizer combined with antidepressants were used in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder.

Chronotypes and circadian rest-activity rhythms in bipolar disorders: a meta-analysis of self- and observer rating scales

OBJECTIVE

Chronobiological models postulate that abnormalities in circadian rest/activity rhythms (CRAR) are core phenomena of bipolar disorders (BDs). We undertook a meta-analysis of published studies to determine whether self- or observer ratings of CRAR differentiate BD cases from comparators (typically healthy controls [HCs]).

METHOD

We undertook systematic searches of four databases to identify studies for inclusion in random effects meta-analyses and meta-regression analyses. Effect sizes (ES) for pooled analyses of self- and observer ratings were expressed as standardized mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

The 30 studies meeting eligibility criteria included 2840 cases and 3573 controls. Compared with HC, BD cases showed greater eveningness (ES: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.12-0.54), lower flexibility of rhythms (ES: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.06-0.67), lower amplitude of rhythms (ES: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.39-0.70) and more disturbances across a range of CRAR (ES of 0.78-1.12 for general and social activities, sleep and eating patterns). Between study heterogeneity was high (I²  > 70%) and evidence indicated a potential publication bias for studies using the Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry. Meta-regression analyses suggested significantly larger ES were observed in studies using observer ratings or including BD cases with higher levels of depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis demonstrates that BD is associated with higher levels of self- or observer-rated CRAR disturbances compared with controls. However, further studies should examine the respective performance of individual instruments when used alone or in combination, to clarify their applicability and utility in clinical practice.

A Possible Antidepressive Effect of Dietary Interventions: Emergent Findings and Research Challenges

Purpose

Despite recent advancements in the treatment of depression, the prevalence of affected individuals continues to grow. The development of new strategies has been required and emerging evidence has linked a possible antidepressant effect with dietary interventions. In this review, we discuss recent findings about the possible antidepressant effect of dietary interventions with an emphasis on the results of randomized controlled trials.

Recent findings

A high consumption of refined sugars and saturated fat and a low dietary content of fruits and vegetables has been associated with the development of depression. There is evidence supporting a small to moderate beneficial effect of a Mediterranean-type diet in depression. In addition, new dietary protocols are being studied for their use as possible interventions, such as the ketogenic diet, Nordic diet, and plant-based diet.

Summary

Lifestyle interventions surrounding diet and nutrition are a relatively affordable way to enhance response to treatment and to be employed as an adjunct in mental health care. Most studies, however, are limited by the difficulty in controlling for the placebo effect. Mediterranean-style diets seem to be the most promising as an adjunctive treatment for mood disorders. Larger randomized controlled trials that could assess predictors of response to dietary interventions are needed to establish a clear positive effect of diet and guide clinical care and nutritional recommendations concerning mental health care.