Clinical features of delirious mania: a series of five cases and a brief literature review

Delirious Mania in a 77-Year-Old Female

Delirium is associated with acute episodes of disturbances in attention and awareness along with changes to cognition, including memory deficits and disorientation. Delirious mania (DM) is an unusual phenomenon where symptoms of delirium co-exist with symptoms of mania such as elevated or irritable mood, grandiosity, agitation, and cognitive disorganization. There is no formal agreement upon clinical symptoms for DM, but it generally includes acute onset of confusion, poor orientation, excitation, restlessness, and delusions. DM was first identified in the mid-1800s by Dr. Luther Bell and has only been identified by case reports since. We investigated a 77-year-old woman who was found at a gas station in an altered mental state. Upon observation, she has symptoms consistent with DM, including inappropriate laughter, distraction and confusion. She was diagnosed with acute metabolic encephalopathy, but the presentation of DM was considered in the differential and remains a unique finding.

Bell's mania as a clinical presentation in a neurosurgical setting from a tertiary care neuropsychiatric hospital in India

Bell's mania is the co-occurrence of delirium and mania. We present two cases of Bell's mania in a neurosurgical setting. The first case is of a 52-year-old male who presented with holocranial headache, disorientation, and manic symptoms for five months. He was found to have suprasellar craniopharyngioma. He significantly improved with olanzapine, but re-emergence of mood symptoms was noted after surgery. The second case is of a 42-year-old male who presented with a 15-day history of seizures and disorientation. He was found to have a dural arteriovenous fistula. He developed Bell's mania in the post-procedural period, which improved with olanzapine. Compression of the hypothalamo-pituitary stalk in the first case and vascular and inflammatory changes in the second case could have led to Bell's mania. Atypical age of onset and presence of neurological symptoms in patients presenting with psychiatric symptoms should raise the suspicion of an underlying organicity. Atypical anti-psychotics can be a useful management strategy for Bell's mania.

Treatment of schizophrenia with catatonic symptoms: A narrative review

Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric syndrome consisting of psychomotor abnormalities caused by a broad range of disorders affecting brain function. While the nosological status of catatonia is no longer restricted to a subtype of schizophrenia in standardized diagnostic systems, the character, course, and clinical significance of catatonia in people with schizophrenia remain unclear. Evidence suggests that catatonia could be a nonspecific state-related phenomenon, a fundamental core symptom dimension of schizophrenia, or a subcortical variant of schizophrenia. Either way, the validity of catatonia in schizophrenia is clinically significant only insofar as it predicts prognosis and response to treatment. Most contemporary clinical trials of antipsychotics have targeted schizophrenia as an overly broad unitary psychosis neglecting any differential response defined by phenomenology or course. However, early naturalistic studies showed that catatonia predicted poor response to first-generation antipsychotics in chronic schizophrenia and case reports cautioned against the risk of triggering neuroleptic malignant syndrome. More recent studies suggest that second-generation antipsychotics, particularly clozapine, may be effective in schizophrenia with catatonic symptoms, while small randomized controlled trials have found that the short-term response to ECT may be faster and more significant. Based on available data, conclusions are limited as to whether antipsychotics are as effective and safe in acute and chronic schizophrenia with catatonic symptoms compared to other treatments and compared to schizophrenia without catatonia. Further studies of the pathophysiology, phenomenology, course and predictive value of catatonia in schizophrenia are worthwhile.

An Examination of Electroconvulsive Therapy and Delivery of Care in Delirious Mania

OBJECTIVES

Delirious mania is a severe life-threatening syndrome, often misdiagnosed, and eminently treatable as a variant of catatonia. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive examination of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) parameters and clinical features, as well as describe the delivery of care of the patients with delirious mania.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted of the ECT records at Stony Brook University Hospital from years 2014 to 2021. We characterized demographic and clinical variables, including psychiatric diagnoses and ECT parameters of patients identified with delirious mania.

RESULTS

We identified 8 cases (3 women) of delirious mania with 8 corresponding acute treatment series. The mean age was 43.2 ± 12.6 years (range, 23-59 years). There were a total of 55 sessions performed with an average of 6.9 ± 2.6 (range, 5-13); 45 (82%) were bilateral (bifrontal or bitemporal) and 10 (18%) were right unilateral electrode placement. In 40 (73%) of the sessions, a high-energy stimulus was used (>60%, or 302 millicoulombs). Seizure duration measured on electroencephalogram was 47.4 ± 25.9 seconds (range, 0-143 seconds). Motor seizure duration measured on electromyogram was 32.7 ± 14.9 seconds (range, 0-66 seconds). In 6 cases, ECT was delayed for 10 days, and patients were given inappropriate treatments. High-dose antipsychotics caused worsened aggression and hemodynamic instability requiring physical restraints in 50% of cases.

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical presentation of delirious mania remains poorly recognized, and its treatment is often delayed, which may result in negative outcomes. Bilateral ECT with high-energy dosing yielded a rapid remission of symptoms.

Catatonia in older adults: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Catatonia is a complex psychomotor syndrome that often goes unrecognized and untreated, even though its classification has evolved in recent years. Prompt and correct identification of catatonia allows for highly effective treatment and prevention of possible complications. The underrecognition of catatonia in older patients is also frequent, and research in this population is scarce.

AIM

To conduct a systematic review of the literature on catatonia in older people to ascertain its clinical characteristics across settings.

METHODS

Following the PRISMA guidelines, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases were searched from inception to December 2021, with a strategy aimed at identifying all articles published on catatonia in older adults. Titles and abstracts were scanned and selected independently by two authors. Papers investigating issues related to catatonia and/or catatonic symptoms in older people, with English abstracts available, were included. References of selected articles were revised to identify other relevant studies.

RESULTS

In total, 1355 articles were retrieved. After removing duplicates, 879 remained. Of the 879 identified abstracts, 669 were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. A total of 210 articles underwent full text review, and 51 were eliminated for various reasons. Fourteen more articles were selected from the references. Overall, 173 articles were reviewed: 108 case reports, 35 case series, 11 prospective cohort studies, 6 case-control studies, 3 retrospective cohort studies and 10 reviews. We found several particular aspects of catatonia in this population. Catatonia in older patients is highly prevalent and tends to have a multifactorial etiology. Older patients, compared to younger patients, have a higher risk of developing catatonia with benzodiazepine (BZD) withdrawal, in bipolar disorder, and in the general hospital. Age, together with other risk factors, was significantly associated with the incidence of deep venous thrombosis, neuroleptic malignant syndrome poor outcome, other complications and mortality. Treatment with BZDs and electroconvulsive therapy is safe and effective. Prompt treatment of its cause is essential to ensure a good prognosis.

CONCLUSION

Catatonia in older patients is highly prevalent and tends to have a multifactorial etiology. The risk of developing catatonia in some settings and conditions, as well as of developing complications, is high in this population. Symptomatic treatment is safe and effective, and timely etiologic treatment is fundamental.

Delirious mania in a patient with COVID-19 pneumonia

Delirious mania (the coexistence of delirium and mania) is described in the literature but not recognised in standard nosologies. We report a woman in her late 30s, with no psychiatric history, who presented with concurrent symptoms of mania and delirium. She was diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia (positive reverse transcription-PCR test). There was no history of substance misuse or concurrent medical illness. CT head scan was normal as were blood investigations, other than elevated inflammatory markers. She received standard treatment for COVID-19 pneumonia and lorazepam and quetiapine to treat her neuropsychiatric symptoms. She made a full recovery after 9 days. She was apyrexial with normal oxygen saturation throughout her illness. The case shows that severe neuropsychiatric symptoms can complicate otherwise mild COVID-19 pneumonia with neuroinflammation being a possible mechanism. A diagnosis of delirious mania appears to better capture the complexity of the presentation than a diagnosis of mania or delirium alone.

Case of refractory delirious mania responsive to lithium

Delirious mania is an uncommon condition that is challenging to diagnose and treat. More often seen in patients with a history of bipolar disorder, it frequently presents with prominent catatonic features and overlaps with other diseases in the catatonic spectrum, such as neuroleptic malignant syndrome, serotonin syndrome and malignant catatonia. We present a case of delirious mania refractory to high doses of lorazepam, several antipsychotics and valproic acid, which responded dramatically to therapy with lithium after 26 days of minimal improvement with the other medications. The pathophysiology of delirious mania is reviewed, and the unique actions of lithium are discussed, highlighting possible reasons as to why lithium might offer advantages in the treatment of this disease.

Delirious mania as a frequent and recognizable neuropsychiatric syndrome in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis

BACKGROUND

Previous case reports showed that delirious mania could be one of the many neuropsychiatric presentations of Anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis (ANMDARE).

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the frequency of delirious mania and its associated factors in ANMDARE.

METHOD

A prospective study, including all patients with ANMDARE admitted to the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery of Mexico, from January 2014 to April 2019. The diagnosis of delirious mania was established when diagnostic criteria for mania and delirium were fulfilled simultaneously.

RESULTS

79 patients with definitive ANMDARE were included. Delirious mania was identified in 20 (25.3%) of these patients. Catatonia, psychomotor agitation, disinhibition, impulsivity, and grandiose delusions were significantly associated with delirious mania. Also, a lower frequency of EEG abnormalities, absence of extreme delta brush, and a shorter hospital stay was observed in these patients.

CONCLUSION

Delirious mania proved to be a frequent neuropsychiatric presentation of ANMDARE, and its presence should warn the physician about the possibility of this diagnosis. It was mainly associated with higher rates of catatonia, psychomotor agitation, disinhibition, and psychotic symptoms. The lack of recognition of delirious mania as a neuropsychiatric presentation in ANMDARE may be a source of diagnostic and therapeutic errors, as most physicians associate this with bipolar disorder.

Adult Mild Encephalitis With Reversible Splenial Lesion Associated With Delirious Mania: A Case Report

Mild encephalitis with reversible splenial lesion is a rare clinic-radiological entity presenting with neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with cerebral lesion/s. Delirious mania is a severe psychiatric syndrome characterized by acute onset of delirium, excitement, and psychosis with a high mortality rate. In this paper, we present a case report of mild encephalitis with reversible splenial lesion clinically presenting as delirious mania and evolving into life-threatening multi-organ failure. The patient was treated with aripiprazole and benzodiazepine with poor effect and, after 4 days, the patient's condition significantly worsened requiring transfer to the intensive care unit where deep sedation with propofol was started. Our findings are in contrast with the traditional literature description of self-resolving and harmless mild encephalitis with reversible splenial lesion. Moreover, rapid clinical recovery and the progressive improvement of psychiatric symptoms after deep sedation with propofol in this case-considering propofol's neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects-supports the notion of propofol-mediated deep sedation for the treatment of severe manic symptoms associated with life-threatening conditions. Little is known about neural markers of the manic state, and the corpus callosum has been described to be involved in bipolar disorder. Abnormalities in this structure may represent a marker of vulnerability for this disorder.

Identification and management of "delirious mania:" A rare clinical entity

Little is known about the entity of delirious mania, apart from a few reports. Delirious mania, though a potentially lethal condition, has not found a place in the current classification system. We discuss the approach to the identification and management of delirious mania in a female patient presenting with catatonic and delirious features, with a past history of recurrent mood episodes. However, it must be emphasized that it is likely to be a rare clinical presentation of bipolar disorder and should not be the first diagnostic consideration. As a rule, any patient presenting with delirium or clouded consciousness first warrants a thorough medical workup and other specialty referrals.

A factor analytical study report on mania from Nepal

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Phenomenological studies on mood disorder are rare in Nepal which prompted us to undertake the current factor analytical study of mania.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

It was a cross-sectional descriptive study for which we did purposive sampling technique according to certain inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study sample consists of fifty patients, who fulfilled the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10) diagnostic criteria for Manic Episode and/or Bipolar Affective Disorder-current episode mania. Tools used were ICD-10 Diagnostic Criteria for Research, Young's Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Principal component factor analysis was applied to the 35 symptoms taken from YMRS and BPRS.

RESULTS

Factor analysis revealed the presence of four main factors, which explained 51.082% of the total variance. These are "pure mania" which isolated 11 manic symptoms, "dysphoric mania" which isolated five depressive symptoms, "hostile mania" which isolated six symptoms, and the fourth factor, we called it "delirious mania," isolated four symptoms.

CONCLUSION

The identified factors and subtypes are a useful conceptualization of atypical features among patients with acute mania. Further validation studies are required to determine whether the identified subtypes are of clinical and theoretical importance.

Delirious Mania Associated with Autoimmune Gastrothyroidal Syndrome of a Mid-Life Female: The Role of Hashimoto Encephalopathy and a 3-Year Follow-Up including Serum Autoantibody Levels

We report the case study of a 57-year-old Caucasian female with steroid-responsive encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis (SREAT), commonly termed Hashimoto encephalopathy (HE). This presentation includes one of the longest lasting follow-up studies of HE considering the neuropsychiatric symptoms (here delirium, mania, and EEG-slowing) and their relation to serum autoantibody levels. Antithyroid-peroxidase autoantibodies, the hallmark of autoimmune thyroiditis, were found in the serum and also in the cerebrospinal fluid. Diagnostic analyses found no evidence of limbic encephalopathies characterized by serum antibodies against intracellular, synaptic, or further cell surface antigenic targets, neoplasm, and connective tissue or vasculitis diseases. A potential contribution of bipolar disorder and metabolic encephalopathies due to severe hypothyroidism, glucocorticoid treatment, accelerated thyroid hormone replacement therapy, or vitamin B deficiency is critically discussed. Another special feature of this case report is the linkage of HE to an autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome (type 3B) affecting the gastroduodenum in addition to the thyroid gland.

Licensed Nurse and Nursing Assistant Recognition of Delirium in Nursing Home Residents With Dementia

Many nursing home residents experience delirium. Nursing home personnel, especially nursing assistants, have the opportunity to become familiar with residents' normal cognitive function and to recognize changes in a resident's cognitive function over time. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of delirium recognition by licensed nurses and nursing assistants from eight nursing homes over a 12-month period. Participants were asked to complete five case vignette assessments at three different time points (in 6-month intervals) to test their ability to identify different subtypes of delirium and delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD). A total of 760 case vignettes were completed across the different time points. Findings reveal that staff recognition of delirium was poor. The case vignette describing hyperactive DSD was correctly identified by the greatest number participants, and the case vignette describing hypoactive DSD was correctly identified by the least number of participants. Recognition of the case vignette describing hypoactive delirium improved over time. Nursing assistants performed similarly to the licensed nurses, indicating that all licensed nursing home staff require further education to correctly recognize delirium in older adults.

Delirium and depression: inter-relationship and clinical overlap in elderly people

Delirium and depression are complex neuropsychiatric syndromes common in the elderly and are associated with poor health-care outcomes. Accurate diagnosis is essential to the provision of optimum health care for individuals with these conditions but is complicated by substantial clinical overlap in symptoms and comorbidities. A careful assessment of the patient's symptoms, including their context and time course, is needed for accurate diagnosis. Previous depression is common in patients with delirium and depressive illness is a recognised sequelae of delirium. The two syndromes seem to be caused by similar pathophysiological mechanisms, involving disturbances in stress and inflammatory responses, monoaminergic and melatonergic signalling, which point to new avenues for therapeutic intervention. Improved methods to assess delirium and depression in populations at high risk by virtue of their age, diminished cognitive reserve and physical frailty is a key target to achieve improved health-care outcomes in elderly individuals.

A clinical review of the treatment of catatonia

Catatonia is a severe motor syndrome with an estimated prevalence among psychiatric inpatients of about 10%. At times, it is life-threatening especially in its malignant form when complicated by fever and autonomic disturbances. Catatonia can accompany many different psychiatric illnesses and somatic diseases. In order to recognize the catatonic syndrome, apart from thorough and repeated observation, a clinical examination is needed. A screening instrument, such as the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale, can guide the clinician through the neuropsychiatric examination. Although severe and life-threatening, catatonia has a good prognosis. Research on the treatment of catatonia is scarce, but there is overwhelming clinical evidence of the efficacy of benzodiazepines, such as lorazepam, and electroconvulsive therapy.

Is the concept of delirious mania valid in the elderly? A case report and a review of the literature

Delirious mania has been well recognized in the published literature and in the clinic. Over the years there has been refinement of understanding of its clinical features, course, and treatment. The literature suggests that delirious mania should be considered in individuals who present with a constellation of sudden onset delirium, mania, and psychosis. However, delirious mania is not recognized under a formal classification system nor are there any formal guidelines for its treatment. We, as such, question if the concept of delirious mania in the elderly is valid. We present a case of an elderly man with marked features of delirium with minimal manic or psychotic features who had a previous diagnosis of bipolar I disorder. On thorough clinical assessments no identifiable cause of his delirium was found. We therefore considered his presentation to be more likely due to delirious mania. Electroconvulsive therapy was considered and offered to which he responded very well. We invite the reader to consider whether delirious mania is a valid concept in the elderly, where features of delirium may be more prominent than manic or psychotic features.

Rediscovering catatonia: the biography of a treatable syndrome

OBJECTIVE

Catatonia, a disorder of movement and mood, was described and named in 1874. Other observers quickly made the same recognition. By the turn of the century, however, catatonia was incorporated as a type within a conjured syndrome of schizophrenia. There, catatonia has lain in the psychiatric classification for more than a century.

METHOD

We review the history of catatonia and its present status. In the 1970s, the tie was questioned when catatonia was recognized among those with mood disorders. The recognition of catatonia within the neuroleptic malignant syndrome offered effective treatments of high doses of benzodiazepines and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), again questioning the tie. A verifying test for catatonia (the lorazepam sedation test) was developed. Soon the syndromes of delirious mania, toxic serotonin syndrome, and the repetitive behaviors in adolescents with autism were recognized as treatable variations of catatonia.

RESULTS

Ongoing studies now recognize catatonia among patients labeled as suffering from the Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, anti-NMDAR encephalitis, obsessive-compulsive disease, and various mutisms.

CONCLUSION

Applying the treatments for catatonia to patients with these syndromes offers opportunities for clinical relief. Catatonia is a recognizable and effectively treatable neuropsychiatric syndrome. It has many faces. It warrants recognition outside schizophrenia in the psychiatric disease classification.

Delirious mania: can we get away with this concept? A case report and review of the literature

Background. Delirious mania (DM) as a clinical entity is well described, yet is often unrecognized in clinical practice. While most often misdiagnosed as acute psychotic episodes of organic delirium, these patients meet the criteria for mania with attendant delirium and pose therapeutic challenges. In addition to the case presentation, this paper also discusses the available literature on DM. Case Presentation. A 29-year-old man with DM was treated with a combination of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), divalproex 2000 mg/day, loxapine 100 mg/day, and lorazepam 4 mg/day. He demonstrated clinically significant improvement by day 10, which persisted through the twelve-month follow-up period. Conclusions. DM is a severe psychiatric syndrome which should be accurately diagnosed. Patients with DM should be treated aggressively, especially with ECT. Lack of recognition of DM can lead to serious morbidity or fatal outcomes. Though the concept of DM is well established, recent psychiatric literature does not make a mention of this life threatening yet treatable condition. We propose that there is a dire need to keep this concept alive.