Types of depression more frequent in bipolar than in unipolar affective illness: results of the Polish DEP-BI study

Treatment outcomes and cognitive function following electroconvulsive therapy in patients with severe depression

BACKGROUND

Traditional treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD), including medication and therapy, often fail and have undesirable side effects. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) uses electrical currents to induce brief seizures in the brain, resulting in rapid and potent antidepressant effects. However, owing to misconceptions and controversies, ECT is not as widely used as it could and often faces stigmatization.

AIM

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ECT compared to those of medication and/or therapy in patients with severe MDD.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study included 220 individuals with severe MDD who were divided into the ECT and non-ECT groups. The patients in the ECT group underwent bilateral ECT three times a wk until they either achieved remission or reached a maximum of 12 sessions. The non-ECT group received medication and/or therapy according to clinical guidelines for MDD. The primary outcome was the variation in the hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) score from treatment/ECT initiation to week 12. In addition, patients’ quality of life, cognitive abilities, and biomarkers were measured throughout the study.

RESULTS

Although both groups showed significant improvements in their HDRS scores over time, the improvement was more pronounced in the ECT group than in the non-ECT group. Additionally, the ECT group exhibited a more substantial improvement in the quality of life and cognitive function than those of the non-ECT group. Compared with the non-ECT group, the ECT group exhibited evi-dently lower variations in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. The side effects were generally mild and comparable between the two groups. ECT is safer and more potent than medication and/or therapy in mitigating depressive symptoms, enhancing well-being, and bolstering cognitive capabilities in individuals with severe MDD. ECT may also affect the levels of BDNF and IL-6, which are indicators of neuroplasticity and inflammation, respectively.

CONCLUSION

ECT has emerged as a potentially advantageous therapeutic approach for patients with MDD who are unresponsive to alternative treatments.

Clinical research diagnostic criteria for bipolar illness (CRDC-BP): rationale and validity

BACKGROUND

In the 1970 s, scientific research on psychiatric nosology was summarized in Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC), based solely on empirical data, an important source for the third revision of the official nomenclature of the American Psychiatric Association in 1980, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Third Edition (DSM-III). The intervening years, especially with the fourth edition in 1994, saw a shift to a more overtly "pragmatic" approach to diagnostic definitions, which were constructed for many purposes, with research evidence being only one consideration. The latest editions have been criticized as failing to be useful for research. Biological and clinical research rests on the validity of diagnostic definitions that are supported by firm empirical foundations, but critics note that DSM criteria have failed to prioritize research data in favor of "pragmatic" considerations.

RESULTS

Based on prior work of the International Society for Bipolar Diagnostic Guidelines Task Force, we propose here Clinical Research Diagnostic Criteria for Bipolar Illness (CRDC-BP) for use in research studies, with the hope that these criteria may lead to further refinement of diagnostic definitions for other major mental illnesses in the future. New proposals are provided for mixed states, mood temperaments, and duration of episodes.

CONCLUSIONS

A new CRDC could provide guidance toward an empirically-based, scientific psychiatric nosology, and provide an alternative clinical diagnostic approach to the DSM system.

Transcriptomic profiling as biological markers of depression - A pilot study in unipolar and bipolar women

OBJECTIVES

A significant challenge in psychiatry is the differential diagnosis of depressive episodes in the course of mood disorders. Gene expression profiling may provide an opportunity for such distinguishment.

METHODS

We studied differentially expressed genes in women with a depressive episode in the course of unipolar depression (UD) (n = 24) and bipolar disorder types I (BDI) (n = 13) and II (BDII) (n = 19), and healthy controls (n = 15).

RESULTS

Different types of depression varied in the number and type of up or down-regulated genes. The pathway analysis showed: in UD, up-regulated rheumatoid arthritis pathway (including ITGB2, CXCL8, TEK, TLR4 genes), and down-regulated taste transduction pathway (TAS2R10, TAS2R46, TAS2R14, TAS2R43, TAS2R45, TAS2R19, TAS2R13, TAS2R20, GNG13); in BDI, eight down-regulated pathways: glutamatergic synapse, retrograde endocannabinoid signalling, axon guidance, calcium signalling, nicotine addiction, PI3K-Akt signalling, drug metabolism - cytochrome P450, and morphine addiction; in BDII, up-regulated osteoclast differentiation and Notch signalling pathway, and down-regulated type I diabetes mellitus pathway. Distinct expression markers analysis uncovered the unique for UD, up-regulated bladder cancer pathway (HBEGF and CXCL8 genes).

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study suggests a probability of differentiating depression in the course of UD, BDI, and II, based on transcriptomic profiling.

Predictors of conversion from major depressive disorder to bipolar disorder

The present study has two main aims: (1) To assess whether childhood trauma helps to differentiate Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) from Bipolar Disorder (BD) in a cross-sectional design; and (2) Describe the rate of conversion from MDD to BD, as well as the clinical and demographic predictors of conversion from MDD to BD in a prospective cohort design. We conducted a prospective cohort study in two phases, in the city of Pelotas, RS, Brazil. In the first phase, 565 subjects diagnosed with MDD, and 127 with BD according to the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview were included. In the second phase, only individuals with MDD were reevaluated for potential conversion to BD. The rate of conversion from MDD to BD in 3 years was 12.4%. Predictors of conversion from MDD to BD included lower educational level, use of illicit substances, younger age of the first depressive episode, and family history of BD. Childhood trauma was not a significant risk factor for conversion to BD in our prospective study. Our findings can contribute to the prevention and identification of conversion from MDD to BD, as well as to the establishment of more targeted therapeutic interventions, improving the prognosis of these individuals.

Perinatal Mixed Affective State: Wherefore Art Thou?

Mixed states in patients with a perinatal mood episode is seldom encountered. Lack of appropriate assessment tools could be partly responsible for this observation. The authors conducted a selective review of studies dealing with the reporting of mixed symptoms in women during the perinatal period with the intention to quantify the phenomenon. In many instances of reported postpartum depression, either a first onset or an onset in the context of bipolar disorder, mixed states were identifiable. However, the strict application of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, mixed features specifier to these episodes risks misdiagnosis.

Bipolar features in major depressive disorder: Results from the Iranian mental health survey (IranMHS)

BACKGROUND

Past research suggests that individuals suffering from depressive disorders with bipolar features might have different clinical outcomes resembling bipolar disorders. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of bipolar features among individuals meeting the criteria for 12-month major depressive disorder (MDD) in the Iranian population and to examine the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with these features.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the Iranian Mental Health Survey (IranMHS), a representative household survey of the Iranian population aged 15-64 years. The study sample consisted of all individuals with a 12-month MDD (n = 1014) ascertained by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 2.1) without a lifetime history of bipolar I or II disorders. Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) was used to screen for the lifetime history of bipolar features among participants with MDD.

RESULTS

Among participants meeting the 12-month MDD criteria, 22.1% (95% CI: 19.6-24.7) had a lifetime history of bipolar features. Compared with those without these features, participants with bipolar features had higher odds of endorsing suicidal ideations and suicide attempts, comorbid anxiety and substance use disorders, severe impairment, history of psychotic symptoms, some features of atypical depression and fewer depressive symptoms. Associations with comorbid anxiety disorders [Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.43; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00-2.03] and history of psychotic symptoms (OR = 2.63 95% CI: 1.81-3.81) persisted in multivariable models.

LIMITATION

Relying on self-reports of lifetime bipolar symptoms which is open to recall bias, and cross-sectional study design which limits interpretation of outcome and course of MDD are two major limitations of this study.

CONCLUSION

The presence of bipolar features is associated with a distinct demographic and clinical profile in MDD. Identifying these cases would enhance the homogeneity of the depressive disorder phenotype in general population surveys. Identifying MDD patients with these features has potential clinical implications.

A neuro-immune, neuro-oxidative and neuro-nitrosative model of prenatal and postpartum depression

A large body of evidence indicates that major affective disorders are accompanied by activated neuro-immune, neuro-oxidative and neuro-nitrosative stress (IO&NS) pathways. Postpartum depression is predicted by end of term prenatal depressive symptoms whilst a lifetime history of mood disorders appears to increase the risk for both prenatal and postpartum depression. This review provides a critical appraisal of available evidence linking IO&NS pathways to prenatal and postpartum depression. The electronic databases Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus were sources for this narrative review focusing on keywords, including perinatal depression, (auto)immune, inflammation, oxidative, nitric oxide, nitrosative, tryptophan catabolites (TRYCATs), kynurenine, leaky gut and microbiome. Prenatal depressive symptoms are associated with exaggerated pregnancy-specific changes in IO&NS pathways, including increased C-reactive protein, advanced oxidation protein products and nitric oxide metabolites, lowered antioxidant levels, such as zinc, as well as lowered regulatory IgM-mediated autoimmune responses. The latter pathways coupled with lowered levels of endogenous anti-inflammatory compounds, including ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, may also underpin the pathophysiology of postpartum depression. Although increased bacterial translocation, lipid peroxidation and TRYCAT pathway activation play a role in mood disorders, similar changes do not appear to be relevant in perinatal depression. Some IO&NS biomarker characteristics of mood disorders are found in prenatal depression indicating that these pathways partly contribute to the association of a lifetime history of mood disorders and perinatal depression. However, available evidence suggests that some IO&NS pathways differ significantly between perinatal depression and mood disorders in general. This review provides a new IO&NS model of prenatal and postpartum depression.

Is a delay in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder inevitable?

OBJECTIVE

A diagnosis of bipolar disorder (BD) is often preceded by an initial diagnosis of depression, creating a delay in the accurate diagnosis and treatment of BD. Although previous research has focused on predictors of a diagnosis change from depression to BD, the research on this delay in diagnosis is sparse. Therefore, the present study examined the time taken to make a BD diagnosis following an initial diagnosis of major depressive disorder in order to further understand the patient characteristics and psychological factors that may explain this delay.

METHOD

A total of 382 patients underwent a clinical evaluation by a psychiatrist and completed a series of questionnaires.

RESULTS

Ninety patients were initially diagnosed with depression with a later diagnosis of BD, with a mean delay in diagnostic conversion of 8.74 years. These patients who were later diagnosed with BD were, on average, diagnosed with depression at a younger age, experienced more manic symptoms, and had a more open personality style and better coping skills. Cox regressions showed that depressed patients with diagnoses that eventually converted to BD had been diagnosed with depression earlier and that this was related to a longer delay to conversion and greater likelihood of dysfunctional attitudes.

CONCLUSION

The findings from the present study suggested that an earlier diagnosis of depression is related to experiencing a longer delay in conversion to BD. The clinical implications of this are briefly discussed, with a view to reducing the seemingly inevitable delay in the diagnosis of BD.

Postpartum depression: bipolar or unipolar? Analysis of 434 Polish postpartum women

Objective

To assess the prevalence of soft bipolar features in a sample of women with postpartum depressive symptoms, as well as to compare the sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics of subjects with bipolar or unipolar postpartum depressive symptomatology.

Methods

Four hundred and thirty-four participants were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Postpartum depression (PPD) symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), while the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) was used to screen for bipolarity features.

Results

Of the 434 participants, 66 (15.2%) scored ≥ 13 points on the EPDS, thus fulfilling the screening criteria, and 103 scored ≥ 7 points on the MDQ. In comparison with non-depressed subjects, the women who scored positively on the EPDS were significantly more likely to exhibit symptoms of bipolar spectrum disorders (38 vs. 21%; chi-square test, p = 0.015). Women with bipolar PPD symptomatology were significantly younger than those exhibiting unipolar PPD symptoms (31.0±4.8 years vs. 28.5±4.1 years; t-test, p = 0.03). The groups did not differ in terms of obstetric characteristics.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that patients with PPD symptomatology may be more likely to exhibit soft bipolarity features as compared with non-depressed women.

Atypical depression: current perspectives

The history and present status of the definition, prevalence, neurobiology, and treatment of atypical depression (AD) is presented. The concept of AD has evolved through the years, and currently, in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), Fifth Edition, the specifier of depressive episode with atypical feature is present for both diagnostic groups, that is, depressive disorders and bipolar and related disorders. This specifier includes mood reactivity, hyperphagia, hypersomnia, leaden paralysis, and interpersonal rejection sensitivity. Prevalence rates of AD are variable, depending on the criteria, methodology, and settings. The results of epidemiological studies using DSM criteria suggest that 15%-29% of depressed patients have AD, and the results of clinical studies point to a prevalence of 18%-36%. A relationship of AD with bipolar depression, seasonal depression, and obesity has also been postulated. Pathogenic research has been mostly focused on distinguishing AD from melancholic depression. The differences have been found in biochemical studies in the areas of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, inflammatory markers, and the leptin system, although the results obtained are frequently controversial. A number of findings concerning such differences have also been obtained using neuroimaging and neurophysiological and neuropsychological methods. An initial concept of AD as a preferentially monoamine oxidase inhibitor-responsive depression, although confirmed in some further studies, is of limited use nowadays. Currently, despite numerous drug trials, there are no comprehensive treatment guidelines for AD. We finalize the article by describing the future research perspectives for the definition, neurobiology, and treatment. A better specification of diagnostic criteria and description of clinical picture, a genome-wide association study of AD, and establishing updated treatment recommendations for this clinical phenomenon should be the priorities for the coming years.

Bipolar II disorder as a risk factor for postpartum depression

OBJECTIVES

There is evidence for a bipolar diathesis in postpartum depression (PPD) and women presenting with a first PPD frequently receive a diagnosis of bipolar type II disorder (BD-II). However formal evidence for an association between BD-II and PPD has not yet been reported. In the present study we tested a potential association between BD-II and PPD.

METHODS

Parous women with a diagnosis of bipolar type I disorder (BD-I) (n=93), BD-II (n=36) or major depressive disorder (MDD) (n=444) were considered in the present study. All women were retrospectively evaluated for history of PPD (DSM-IV criteria) and other clinical and socio-demographic features.

RESULTS

Women with a history of PDD (n=139, 24%) were younger, younger at illness onset and had more family history for BD compared to women without history of PPD (n=436, 75.9%). Half of BD-II women reported PPD (50%), compared to less than one-third of BD-I and MDD women (respectively 27.5% and 21.6%) (p=0.004).

LIMITATIONS

Limitations include the retrospective assessment of PPD and no available data about the timing of postpartum episodes, illness onset or psychiatric care before or after childbirth, and the number of postpartum episodes.

CONCLUSIONS

BD-II may confer a remarkable risk for PPD, which may be even higher than that of women affected by BD-I disorder. Careful monitoring of BD-II women during the pregnancy and postpartum period, as well as assessment of bipolar features in women with a PPD without a current diagnosis of BD are recommended.

Stolen motherhood-case study of postpartum depression

Aim: The objective was to analyze the case of postpartum depression complicated with extended suicide attempt.

Method: The analysis of clinical case and medical history.

Results: In 25-year-old patient, two weeks after childbirth, postpartum depression episode occurred. In the further course of illness psychotic symptoms (delusions, mood disorders), suicidal and infanticide thoughts emerged. Four weeks after childbirth, the patient killed her baby and took an unsuccessful suicidal attempt. Based on medical records, several risk factors of postpartum depression were identified: 1. obstetric and child-related risk factors: Caesarean section, premature birth, obstetric complications during pregnancy, infant’s difficult temper, difficulties related to breastfeeding; 2. psychological risk factors: baby blues, high anxiety level during pregnancy, high level of stress related to child care.

Conclusions: Psychoeducation of women during pregnancy, including their families, is an extremely crucial element of postpartum depression prevention. It is also necessary to raise awareness among healthcare professionals who have frequent contact with mothers after childbirth: midwives, gynaecologists and paediatricians.

Atypical features in depression: Association with obesity and bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVES

Depression with atypical features amounts to a significant proportion of depressed patients. Studies have shown its association with bipolarity and, recently, with obesity. In this study, we investigated atypical features of depression in relation to overweight/obesity in three diagnostic categories: unipolar depression, bipolar depression and dysthymia.

METHODS

Out of 512 depressed patients screened, we recruited 182 research subjects, consisting of 91 pairs, matched by age, gender and diagnosis, in which one member of the pair was within the normal weight range (BMI≤25) and the other was either overweight or obese (BMI>25). There were 35 pairs with unipolar depression, 27 with bipolar depression and 29 with dysthymia. Symptoms of atypical depression, such as increased appetite, hypersomnia, leaden paralysis, longstanding pattern of interpersonal rejection sensitivity, and, a significant weight gain in the past 3 months, were assessed.

RESULTS

All the symptoms of atypical depression were significantly more pronounced in those depressed patients with a BMI>25, compared with depressed subjects with a normal weight. Except for hypersomnia, these symptoms scored significantly higher in women compared to men. Among the diagnostic categories, symptoms of atypical depression were significantly higher in patients with bipolar disorder compared with both major depressive disorder and dysthymia.

LIMITATIONS

The preponderance of women, the assessment of atypical depression by adaptation of the DSM criteria, entirely Polish population, specificity of selection criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrated a higher intensity of atypical depression's symptoms in overweight/obese depressed patients. They also confirm the association between obesity and bipolarity.

The validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the bipolar depression rating scale

INTRODUCTION

Unipolar depression and bipolar depression differ in their clinical presentations, and the conventional depression rating scales fail to capture these differences. Recently, a new scale to rate the severity of depression in bipolar disorder was developed, and this study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of this scale in a Turkish clinical sample.

METHODS

A total of 81 patients (30 males, 51 females) diagnosed with bipolar depression according to the DSM-IV-TR criteria at three different sites in Turkey were interviewed with the Bipolar Depression Rating Scale (BDRS), the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale, the Young Mania Rating Scale, and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Depression and Excitement subscales. Internal consistency, interrater reliability and concurrent validity of the BDRS were evaluated.

RESULTS

The Turkish version of the BDRS had an acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.786). Moderate to strong correlations between the BDRS, and the MADRS (r=0.808), and the PANSS-D (r=0.426) were observed, and the BDRS correlated weakly to moderately with the PANSS-E (r=0.297), and the YMRS (r=0.368). The mixed symptom cluster score of the BDRS significantly correlated with the YMRS (r=0.755), and the PANSS-E (r=0.712). Exploratory factor analysis showed a three-factor solution. These factors corresponded to somatic depression, psychological depression, and mixed symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that the Turkish version of the BDRS is a valid and reliable instrument to measure depressive symptomatology in bipolar disorder. The scale has good internal validity, strong interrater reliability, and moderate to strong correlations with other depression rating scales.

The bipolar spectrum: conceptions and misconceptions

OBJECTIVE

This review aims to address concerns about the potential overinclusiveness and vagueness of bipolar spectrum concepts, and also, concerns about the overlap between bipolar illness and borderline personality.

METHOD

Narrative review based on historical and empirical studies.

RESULTS

Bipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) came to be separate entities with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition (DSM III), in contrast to the Kraepelinian manic-depressive insanity (MDI) concept, which included both. The bipolar spectrum concept is a return to this earlier Kraepelinian perspective. Further, very different features differentiate the disease of bipolar illness (family history of bipolar illness, severe recurrent mood episodes with psychomotor activation) from the clinical picture of borderline personality (dissociative symptoms, sexual trauma, parasuicidal self-harm). The term 'disorder' obfuscates an ontological difference between diseases, such as manic-depressive illness, and clinical pictures, such as hysteria/post-traumatic stress disorder/dissociation/borderline personality.

CONCLUSIONS

Bipolar spectrum concepts are historically rooted in Kraepelin's manic-depressive illness concept, are scientifically testable, and can be clearly formulated. Further, they differ in kind from traumatic/dissociative conditions in ways that can be both historically and scientifically established.

Postpartum depression: identifying associations with bipolarity and personality traits. Preliminary results from a cross-sectional study in Poland

The goals of this study have been to determine the prevalence of the bipolar spectrum features in the population of women with postpartum depression (PPD) symptoms, as well as to analyze the personality differences between putative 'unipolar' and 'bipolar' PPD subjects. The sample enrolled into the cross-sectional study consisted of 344 women at 6-12 weeks postpartum. The authors used the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS; cut-off score: 13 pts.) for the assessment of the PPD symptoms, the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ; cut-off scores: 7 or 8 pts.) for diagnosing the bipolar features, and the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) for the assessment of personality traits. The EPDS-positive subjects were more likely to score positively on the MDQ, as compared to the EPDS-negative ones. The EPDS-positive subjects who also scored ≥8 pts. on the MDQ were characterized by higher index of neuroticism, as compared to those who scored positively on the EPDS only. The results suggest that the presence of PPD symptoms is related to significantly higher scores of bipolarity and neuroticism. The more robust trait of neuroticism might be a marker of the 'bipolar' PPD, as compared to the 'unipolar' form of the disorder.

Bipolar spectrum: a review of the concept and a vision for the future

This paper reviews the bipolar spectrum concept historically and empirically. It describes how the concept derives from Kraepelin, but was lost with DSM-III, which divided the broad manic-depressive illness concept, based on recurrent mood episodes of either polarity, to the bipolar versus unipolar dichotomy, based on allowing non-recurrent mood episodes of only one polarity. This approach followed the views of Karl Leonhard and other critics of Kraepelin. Thus post DSM-III American psychiatry is not neo-Kraepelinian, as many claim, but neo-Leonhardian. The bipolar spectrum approach, as advocated by Akiskal and Koukopoulos first, harkens back to the original broad Kraepelinian view of manic-depressive illness. The evidence for and against this approach is discussed, and common misconceptions, including mistaken claims that borderline personality is similar, are revealed and critiqued.

Activated depression: mixed bipolar disorder or agitated unipolar depression?

The combination of depression and activation presents clinical and diagnostic challenges. It can occur, in either bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder, as increased agitation as a dimension of depression. What is called agitation can consist of expressions of painful inner tension or as disinhibited goal-directed behavior and thought. In bipolar disorder, elements of depression can be combined with those of mania. In this case, the agitation, in addition to increased motor activity and painful inner tension, must include symptoms of mania that are related to goal-directed behavior or manic cognition. These diagnostic considerations are important, as activated depression potentially carries increased behavioral risk, especially for suicidal behavior, and optimal treatments for depressive episodes differ between bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.

Is coping well a matter of personality? A study of euthymic unipolar and bipolar patients

BACKGROUND

Euthymic bipolar disorder (BD) patients often demonstrate better clinical outcomes than remitted patients with unipolar illness (UP). Reasons for this are uncertain, however, personality and coping styles are each likely to play a key role. This study examined differences between euthymic BD and UP patients with respect to the inter-relationship between personality, coping style, and clinical outcomes.

METHODS

A total of 96 UP and 77 BD euthymic patients were recruited through the CADE Clinic, Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, and assessed by a team comprising Psychiatrists and Psychologists. They underwent a structured clinical diagnostic interview, and completed self-report measures of depression, anxiety, stress, personality, coping, social adjustment, self-esteem, dysfunctional attitudes, and fear of negative evaluation.

RESULTS

Compared to UP, BD patients reported significantly higher scores on levels of extraversion, adaptive coping, self-esteem, and lower scores on trait anxiety and fear of negative evaluation. Extraversion correlated positively with self-esteem, adaptive coping styles, and negatively with trait anxiety and fear of negative evaluation. Trait anxiety and fear of negative evaluation correlated positively with eachother, and both correlated negatively with self-esteem and adaptive coping styles. Finally, self-esteem correlated positively with adaptive coping styles.

LIMITATIONS

The results cannot be generalised to depressive states of BD and UP, as differences in the course of illness and types of depression are likely to impact on coping and clinical outcomes, particularly for BD.

CONCLUSIONS

During remission, functioning is perhaps better 'preserved' in BD than in UP, possibly because of the protective role of extraversion which drives healthier coping styles.

Diagnostic conversions from major depressive disorder into bipolar disorder in an outpatient setting: results of a retrospective chart review

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study was to check the stability of a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) in an outpatient setting, as well as to assess the scope of diagnostic conversions into bipolar disorder (BD).

METHODS

Retrospective chart review of 122 patients with a primary diagnosis of MDD.

RESULTS

Diagnostic conversion from MDD into BD was noticed in 40 subjects (32.8%), 25 patients (20.5%) were treatment-resistant. Mean time to the conversion was 9.27±8.64 years. A negative correlation between the age of illness onset and time to diagnostic conversion was observed (-0.41; p<0.05). Earlier onset of MDD was associated with higher risk of diagnostic conversion (<30vs≥30 years of age at onset: 69% vs 28%, p=0.0001; <35vs≥35 years of age: 50% vs 25%, p=0.0065). Treatment-resistance was more prevalent in the BD conversion group (40% vs 11%; p=0.0002). Diagnostic conversion into BD was also related longer duration of treatment received, higher number of illness episodes, and higher number of hospitalizations.

LIMITATIONS

Retrospective design of the study.

CONCLUSIONS

The problem of diagnosis evolution from MDD to BD was observed in about 1/3 of patients, and was associated with treatment-resistance of depression, earlier onset of depression, longer time of treatment, higher number of depressive episodes and hospitalizations. The variables above may be a useful predictor of bipolar diathesis.

The vigilance regulation model of affective disorders and ADHD

According to the recently proposed vigilance model of affective disorders (vigilance in the sense of "brain arousal"), manic behaviour is partly interpreted as an autoregulatory attempt to stabilise vigilance by creating a stimulating environment, and the sensation avoidance and withdrawal in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is seen as an autoregulatory reaction to tonically increased vigilance. Indeed, using a newly developed EEG-based algorithm, hyperstable vigilance was found in MDD, and the contrary, with rapid drops to sleep stages, in mania. Furthermore, destabilising vigilance (e.g. by sleep deprivation) triggers (hypo)mania and improves depression, whereas stabilising vigilance, e.g. by prolonged sleep, improves mania. ADHD and mania have common symptoms, and the unstable vigilance might be a common pathophysiology. There is even evidence that psychostimulants might ameliorate both ADHD and mania. Hyperactivity of the noradrenergic system could explain both the high vigilance level in MDD and, as recently argued, anhedonia and behavioural inhibition. Interestingly, antidepressants and electroconvulsions decrease the firing rate of neurons in the noradrenergic locus coeruleus, whereas many antimanic drugs have opposite effects.

Discriminative hypomania checklist-32 factors in unipolar and bipolar major depressive patients

BACKGROUND

Although manic or hypomanic episodes define bipolar disorder (BD), most patients show a predominance of depressive symptomatology, often associated with delayed or disregarded BD diagnosis. The Hypomania Checklist-32 (HCL-32) has therefore been developed and tested internationally to facilitate BD recognition.

SAMPLING AND METHODS

Five hundred seventy-one (563 eligible) patients diagnosed with a major depressive episode according to DSM-IV criteria were consecutively enrolled in a cross-sectional, multicenter, observational study (Come To Me). Lifetime manic or hypomanic features were assessed by the HCL-32, and severity of depressive and anxious symptomatology was assessed using the Zung's self-report questionnaires for depression and anxiety.

RESULTS

Among the patients diagnosed with BD (n = 119), either type I or type II, the occurrence of (hypo)manic symptoms was significantly higher compared to major depressive disorder (MDD) symptoms according to HCL-32 total and subscale scores obtained using a score of 14, which ensured an optimal discrimination between BD and MDD with a sensitivity of 0.85 and a specificity of 0.78.

CONCLUSIONS

Although some false positives might occur, the HCL-32 was confirmed to be a useful instrument in the detection of past hypomania in MDD patients, finally contributing to proper therapeutic choices.

Bipolarity and inadequate response to antidepressant drugs: clinical and psychopharmacological perspective

OBJECTIVES

The reason why depression may respond poorly to treatment with antidepressant drugs may be connected with the features of bipolarity. Evidence to this effect has accumulated in recent studies of various kinds of depression in mood disorders. Additional evidence for such a connection may be the efficacy of mood-stabilizing drugs in the augmentation of antidepressants in treatment-resistant depression.

METHODS

This review is based on clinical and psychopharmacological research performed over the past five years. The clinical investigation was based on the response to antidepressants of bipolar depression or to symptoms of hypomania, assessed mainly by the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) and the Hypomania Checklist-32 (HCL-32). The psychopharmacological research tested the efficacy of augmentation of antidepressants in treatment-resistant depression by mood-stabilizing drugs of the 1st and 2nd generations.

RESULTS

A number of studies have pointed to an association between bipolar depression, or symptoms of hypomania and an inadequate response to antidepressants. Such a connection was also found in the Polish TRES-DEP study which included 1051 depressed patients. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated the efficacy of first generation mood-stabilizing drugs (lithium, carbamazepine) and second generation drugs (quetiapine, olanzapine, risperidone, ziprasidone, lamotrigine) for augmentation of antidepressants in treatment-resistant depression. Some evidence has been presented that mixed depressive episodes may also belong to this category.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of these clinical and psychopharmacological studies appear to confirm an association between bipolarity and a poor response of depression to treatment with antidepressant drugs.

Use of the Hypomania Checklist-32 and the Mood Disorder Questionnaire for detecting bipolarity in 1,051 patients with major depressive disorder

Purpose

To use the Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32) and the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), for detecting bipolarity in depressed patients.

Patients

One thousand and fifty-one patients fulfilling ICD-10 criteria for unipolar major depressive episode, single or recurrent, were studied. Patients were assessed using a structured demographic and clinical data interview, and by the Polish versions of the HCL-32 and MDQ questionnaires.

Results

Hypomanic symptoms exceeding cut-off criteria for bipolarity by HCL-32 were found in 37.5% of patients and, by MDQ, in 20% of patients. Patients with HCL-32 (+) or MDQ (+) differed significantly from patients with HCl-32 (−) and MDQ (−) respectively, by being less frequently married, having more family history of depression, bipolar disorder, alcoholism and suicide, earlier onset of illness, and more depressive episodes and psychiatric hospitalizations. The percentage of patients resistant to treatment with antidepressant drugs was significantly higher in HCL-32 (+) vs HCL-32 (−) and in MDQ (+) vs MDQ (−): 43.9% vs 30.0%, and 26.4% vs 12.4%, respectively.

Conclusions

The results confirm a substantial percentage of bipolarity in major depressive disorder. Such patients have a number of clinical characteristics pointing on a more severe form of the illness and their depression is more resistant to treatment with antidepressants.

Antidepressant-resistant depression and antidepressant-associated suicidal behaviour: the role of underlying bipolarity

The complex relationship between the use of antidepressants and suicidal behaviour is one of the hottest topics of our contemporary psychiatry. Based on the literature, this paper summarizes the author's view on antidepressant-resistant depression and antidepressant-associated suicidal behaviour. Antidepressant-resistance, antidepressant-induced worsening of depression, antidepressant-associated (hypo)manic switches, mixed depressive episode, and antidepressant-associated suicidality among depressed patients are relatively most frequent in bipolar/bipolar spectrum depression and in children and adolescents. As early age at onset of major depressive episode and mixed depression are powerful clinical markers of bipolarity and the manic component of bipolar disorder (and possible its biological background) shows a declining tendency with age antidepressant-resistance/worsening, antidepressant-induced (hypo)manic switches and "suicide-inducing" potential of antidepressants seem to be related to the underlying bipolarity.

Latent class analysis of manic and depressive symptoms in a population-based sample in São Paulo, Brazil

BACKGROUND

Current diagnostic criteria cannot capture the full range of bipolar spectrum. This study aims to clarify the natural co-segregation of manic-depressive symptoms occurring in the general population.

METHODS

Using data from the Sao Paulo Catchment Area Study, latent class analysis (LCA) was applied to eleven manic and fourteen depressive symptoms assessed through CIDI 1.1 in 1464 subjects from a community-based study in Sao Paulo, Brazil. All manic symptoms were assessed, regardless of presence of euphoria or irritability, and demographics, services used, suicidality and CIDI/DSM-IIIR mood disorders used to external validate the classes.

RESULTS

The four obtained classes were labeled Euthymics (EU; 49.1%), Mild Affectives (MA; 31.1%), Bipolars (BIP; 10.7%), and Depressives (DEP; 9%). BIP and DEP classes represented bipolar and depressive spectra, respectively. Compared to DEP class, BIP exhibited more atypical depressive characteristics (hypersomnia and increase in appetite and/or weight gain), risk of suicide, and use of services. Depressives had rates of atypical symptoms and suicidality comparable to oligosymptomatic MA class subjects.

LIMITATIONS

The use of lay interviewers and DSM-IIIR diagnostic criteria, which are more restrictive than the currently used DSM-IV TR.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings of high prevalence of bipolar spectrum and of atypical symptoms and suicidality as indicators of bipolarity are of great clinical importance, due to different treatment needs, and higher severity. Lifetime sub-affective and syndromic manic symptoms are clinically significant, arguing for the need of revising DSM bipolar spectrum categories.

Polish version of the Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32) scale: the results in treatment-resistant depression

We performed the factor analysis of the Polish version of the Hypomania Check List (HCL-32) scale and assessed the utility of HCL-32 in discriminating patients with treatment-resistant and treatment non-resistant depression. The study included 1,051 patients with single or recurrent depressive episode among which 569 met the criteria for treatment-resistant depression. The Polish version of HCL-32 was employed to all patients. The Cronbach's alpha for entire scale was 0.93 which indicates high degree of consistency. The factor analysis of the scale yielded three factors with item loadings of 0.4 or more. Factor 1, comprising ten items connected with elevated mood and increased activity explained more than half of total variance, Factor 2 (two items) was connected with sexual activity, and factor 3 (three items) with irritability. The mean score of HCL-32 was significantly higher in treatment-resistant versus non-resistant depression (11.9 +/- 8.3 vs. 8.5 +/- 7.7, respectively, P < 0.001). Also, the percentage of patients having positive response to 14 or more items of the scale was significantly higher in treatment-resistant than in non-resistant depression (43.9 vs. 30.0%, respectively, P < 0.001). Therefore, using Polish version of HCL-32 we have confirmed the association between bipolarity and worse response to antidepressant drugs in patients with mood disorders.

Genetic susceptibility to eating disorders: associated polymorphisms and pharmacogenetic suggestions

Anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge-eating disorder (BED) are characterized by abnormal eating behaviors often resulting in dramatic physical consequences for the patients. The etiology of eating disorders (EDs) is currently unknown; however, a strong genetic contribution is likely to be involved. To date, the majority of genetic studies have focused on candidate genes, and polymorphic variants of genes coding for substances likely to be involved in the etiopathogenesis of EDs have been assessed for association with AN, BN, BED and/or ED-related phenotypic traits. Results have been generally inconsistent and cannot be considered conclusive because of several methodological flaws and differences, such as small sample sizes, ethnic heterogeneity of studied populations, lack of statistical correction for multiple testing, adoption of different diagnostic criteria and population stratification. Although, at present, no convincing evidence for associations of candidate genes with EDs has been provided, the 5-HT2A receptor gene and the BDNF gene seem to be promising candidates for genetic influences on AN, since polymorphic variants of these genes have been found quite consistently, although not specifically, linked to AN restricting subtype in large sample studies. Moreover, pharmacogenetic investigations have suggested a possible role of some gene polymorphisms in predicting the response to treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in BN, but results are still preliminary. The heterogeneity of ED phenotypes is believed to represent the most relevant variable responsible for contradictory and not conclusive results. Future studies should focus on more homogeneous subgroups, either relying on specific ED traits or identifying endophenotypes. This will be useful also for prevention and treatment of EDs.