Early report on brain arousal regulation in manic vs depressive episodes in bipolar disorder

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 502-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Alexander Wittekind ◽  
Janek Spada ◽  
Alexander Gross ◽  
Tilman Hensch ◽  
Philippe Jawinski ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel Kurtz ◽  
Pia Mohring ◽  
Katharina Förster ◽  
Michael Bauer ◽  
Philipp Kanske

Abstract Background This study aimed to compile and synthesize studies investigating explicit emotion regulation in patients with bipolar disorder and individuals at risk of developing bipolar disorder. The importance of explicit emotion regulation arises from its potential role as a marker for bipolar disorders in individuals at risk and its potent role in therapy for bipolar disorder patients. Methods To obtain an exhaustive compilation of studies dealing specifically with explicit emotion regulation in bipolar disorder, we conducted a systematic literature search in four databases. In the 15 studies we included in our review, the emotion-regulation strategies maintenance, distraction, and reappraisal (self-focused and situation-focused) were investigated partly on a purely behavioral level and partly in conjunction with neural measures. The samples used in the identified studies included individuals at increased risk of bipolar disorder, patients with current affective episodes, and patients with euthymic mood state. Results In summary, the reviewed studies' results indicate impairments in explicit emotion regulation in individuals at risk for bipolar disorder, patients with manic and depressive episodes, and euthymic patients. These deficits manifest in subjective behavioral measures as well as in neural aberrations. Further, our review reveals a discrepancy between behavioral and neural findings regarding explicit emotion regulation in individuals at risk for bipolar disorders and euthymic patients. While these groups often do not differ significantly in behavioral measures from healthy and low-risk individuals, neural differences are mainly found in frontostriatal networks. Conclusion We conclude that these neural aberrations are a potentially sensitive measure of the probability of occurrence and recurrence of symptoms of bipolar disorders and that strengthening this frontostriatal route is a potentially protective measure for individuals at risk and patients who have bipolar disorders.


Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 601
Author(s):  
Robert M. Post ◽  
Heinz Grunze

Childhood onset bipolar disorder (CO-BD) presents a panoply of difficulties associated with early recognition and treatment. CO-BD is associated with a variety of precursors and comorbidities that have been inadequately studied, so treatment remains obscure. The earlier the onset, the longer is the delay to first treatment, and both early onset and treatment delay are associated with more depressive episodes and a poor prognosis in adulthood. Ultra-rapid and ultradian cycling, consistent with a diagnosis of BP-NOS, are highly prevalent in the youngest children and take long periods of time and complex treatment regimens to achieve euthymia. Lithium and atypical antipsychotics are effective in mania, but treatment of depression remains obscure, with the exception of lurasidone, for children ages 10-17. Treatment of the common comorbid anxiety disorders, oppositional defiant disorders, pathological habits, and substance abuse are all poorly studied and are off-label. Cognitive dysfunction after a first manic hospitalization improves over the next year only on the condition that no further episodes occur. Yet comprehensive expert treatment after an initial manic hospitalization results in many fewer relapses than traditional treatment as usual, emphasizing the need for combined pharmacological, psychosocial, and psycho-educational approaches to this difficult and highly recurrent illness.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximilian Pilhatsch ◽  
Thomas J Stamm ◽  
Petra Stahl ◽  
Ute Lewitzka ◽  
Anne Berghöfer ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Symptoms of anxiety co-occur in a variety of disorders including in depressive episodes of bipolar disorder and in patients with thyrotoxicosis. Treatment of refractory bipolar disorder with supraphysiologic doses of levothyroxine (L-T4) has been shown to improve the phenotypic expression of the disorder and is associated with an increase of circulating thyroid hormones. However, it might be associated with somatic and mental adverse effects. Here we report the investigation of the influence of treatment with supraphysiologic doses of L-T4 on symptoms of anxiety in patients with refractory bipolar depression. Methods Post-hoc analysis from a 6-week, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of supraphysiologic L-T4 treatment on anxiety symptoms in bipolar depression. Anxiety symptoms were measured weekly with the Hamilton anxiety/somatization factor (HASF) score of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and the State- and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results Treatment of both groups was associated with a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms (p < 0.001) with no statistical difference between groups (LT-4: from 5.9 (SD = 2.0) at baseline to 3.7 (SD = 2.4) at study end; placebo: from 6.1 (SD = 2.4) at baseline to 4.4 (SD = 2.8) at study end; p = 0.717). Severity of anxiety at baseline did not show a statistically significant correlation to the antidepressive effect of treatment with supraphysiologic doses of L-T4 (p = 0.811). Gender did not show an influence on the reduction of anxiety symptoms (females: from 5.6 (SD = 1.7) at baseline to 3.5 (SD = 2.4) at study end; males: from 6.1 (SD = 2.3) at baseline to 4.0 (SD = 2.4) at study end; p = 0.877). Conclusions This study failed to detect a difference in change of anxiety between bipolar depressed patients treated with supraphysiologic doses of L-T4 or placebo. Comorbid anxiety symptoms should not be considered a limitation for the administration of supraphysiologic doses of L-T4 refractory bipolar depressed patients. Trial registration ClinicalTrials, ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01528839. Registered 2 June 2012—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT01528839


CNS Spectrums ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 11 (S5) ◽  
pp. 13-14
Author(s):  
Adele C. Viguera

AbstractThe presentations and clinical courses of patients with bipolar disorder differ greatly by gender. In addition, medical therapy must be tailored differently for men and women because of emerging safety concerns unique to the female reproductive system. In November 2005, these topics were explored by a panel of experts in psychiatry, neurology, and reproductive health at a closed roundtable meeting in Dallas, Texas. This clinical information monograph summarizes the highlights of that meeting.Compared to men with bipolar disorder, women have more pervasive depressive symptoms and experience more major depressive episodes. They are also at higher risk for obesity and certain other medical and psychiatric comorbidities. Mood changes across the menstrual cycle are common, although the severity, timing, and type of changes are variable. Bipolar disorder is frequently associated with menstrual abnormalities and ovarian dysfunction, including polycystic ovarian syndrome. Although some cases of menstrual disturbance precede the treatment of bipolar disorder, it is possible that valproate and/or antipsychotic treatment may play a contributory role in young women.Pregnancy does not protect against mood episodes in untreated women. Maintenance of euthymia during pregnancy is critical because relapse during this period strongly predicts a difficult postpartum course. Suspending therapy in the first months of pregnancy may be an option for some women with mild-to-moderate illness, or those with a long history of euthymia during pre-pregnancy treatment. However, a mood stabilizer should be reintroduced either in the later stages of pregnancy or in the immediate postpartum period. Preliminary data suggest that fetal exposure to some mood stabilizers may raise the risk of major congenital malformations and neurodevelopmental delays. For women planning to become pregnant, clinicians may consider switching to other drugs before conception. The value and drawbacks of breastfeeding during treatment must be considered in partnership with the patient, with close monitoring of nursing infants thereafter. The risks and benefits of medical treatment for women with bipolar disorder should be carefully reconsidered at each stage of their reproductive lives, with a flexible approach that is responsive to the changing needs of patients and their families.


2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cilly Klüger Issler ◽  
Emel Serap Monkul ◽  
José Antonio de Mello Siqueira Amaral ◽  
Renata Sayuri Tamada ◽  
Roseli Gedanke Shavitt ◽  
...  

Issler CK, Monkul ES, Amaral JAMS, Tamada RS, Shavitt RG, Miguel EC, Lafer B. Bipolar disorder and comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder is associated with higher rates of anxiety and impulse control disorders.Objective:Although bipolar disorder (BD) with comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is highly prevalent, few controlled studies have assessed this comorbidity. The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and expression of comorbid disorders in female BD patients with OCD.Method:We assessed clinically stable female outpatients with BD: 15 with comorbid OCD (BD+OCD group) and 15 without (BD/no-OCD group). All were submitted to the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, with additional modules for the diagnosis of kleptomania, trichotillomania, pathological gambling, onychophagia and skin picking.Results:The BD+OCD patients presented more chronic episodes, residual symptoms and previous depressive episodes than the BD/no-OCD patients. Of the BD+OCD patients, 86% had a history of treatment-emergent mania, compared with only 40% of the BD/no-OCD patients. The following were more prevalent in the BD+OCD patients than the BD/no-OCD patients: any anxiety disorder other than OCD; impulse control disorders; eating disorders; and tic disorders.Conclusion:Female BD patients with OCD may represent a more severe form of disorder than those without OCD, having more depressive episodes and residual symptoms, and being at a higher risk for treatment-emergent mania, as well as presenting a greater anxiety and impulse control disorder burden.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 01-02
Author(s):  
Amycus Alecto

Patients with bipolar disorder are exceptionally challenging to manage because of the dynamic, chronic, and fluctuating nature of their disease. Typically, the symptoms of bipolar disorder first appear in adolescence or early adulthood, and are repeated over the patient's lifetime, expressed as unpredictable recurrences of hypomanic/manic or depressive episodes. The lifetime prevalence of bipolar disorder in adults is reported to be approximately 4%, and its management was estimated to cost the US healthcare system in 2009 $150 billion in combined direct and indirect costs.


2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (16) ◽  
pp. 3455-3467 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Peters ◽  
L. G. Sylvia ◽  
P. V. da Silva Magalhães ◽  
D. J. Miklowitz ◽  
E. Frank ◽  
...  

Background.The course of bipolar disorder progressively worsens in some patients. Although responses to pharmacotherapy appear to diminish with greater chronicity, less is known about whether patients' prior courses of illness are related to responses to psychotherapy.Method.Embedded in the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) was a randomized controlled trial of psychotherapy for bipolar depression comparing the efficacy of intensive psychotherapy with collaborative care (a three-session psycho-educational intervention). We assessed whether the number of previous mood episodes, age of illness onset, and illness duration predicted or moderated the likelihood of recovery and time until recovery from a depressive episode in patients in the two treatments.Results.Independently of treatment condition, participants with one to nine prior depressive episodes were more likely to recover and had faster time to recovery than those with 20 or more prior depressive episodes. Participants with fewer than 20 prior manic episodes had faster time to recovery than those with 20 or more episodes. Longer illness duration predicted a longer time to recovery. Participants were more likely to recover in intensive psychotherapy than collaborative care if they had 10–20 prior episodes of depression [number needed to treat (NNT) = 2.0], but equally likely to respond to psychotherapy and collaborative care if they had one to nine (NNT = 32.0) or >20 (NNT = 9.0) depressive episodes.Conclusions.Number of previous mood episodes and illness duration are associated with the likelihood and speed of recovery among bipolar patients receiving psychosocial treatments for depression.


2014 ◽  
Vol 55 ◽  
pp. 96-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael T. de Sousa ◽  
Marcus V. Zanetti ◽  
Geraldo F. Busatto ◽  
Margaret G. Mouro ◽  
Carlos A. Zarate ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Giovanni Carta ◽  
Uta Ouali ◽  
Alessandra Perra ◽  
Azza Ben Cheikh Ahmed ◽  
Laura Boe ◽  
...  

Background: Restrictions during Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, in which rhythms of life have been compromised, can influence the course of bipolar disorder (BD). This study follows patients with bipolar disorder living in two geographically close cities (Cagliari and Tunis), but with different lockdown conditions: less severe in Tunis.Methods: Two cohorts were evaluated during lockdown (April 2020, t0) and 2 months later with lockdown lifted for a month (t1). Individuals were: over 18 years old without gender exclusion, BD I or II, in care for at least 1 year, received a clinical interview in the month before the start of the lockdown, stable clinically before the lockdown. The assessment was conducted by telephone by a psychiatrist or psychologist with good knowledge of patients. Diagnoses were made according to DSM-5 criteria. Depressive symptoms were collected through the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression; cut-off 14 indicative of depressive episode. Circadian rhythms were measured using the BRIAN scale.Results: Forty individuals in Cagliari (70%female, age 48.57 ± 11.64) and 30 in Tunis (53.3% Female, age 41.8 ± 13.22) were recruited. In Cagliari at t0 45% had depressive episodes against none in Tunis, a similar difference appeared at t1. At t0 and t1 the Cagliari sample had more dysfunctional scores in the overall BRIAN scale and in the areas of sleep, activities and social rhythms; no differences were found in nutrition, both samples had predominantly nocturnal rhythm. In Cagliari at t0 and t1, the depressive sub-group showed more dysfunctional scores in the BRIAN areas sleep, activity, and nutrition. However, the differences in biological rhythms resulted, through ANCOVA analysis, independent of the co-presence of depressive symptoms.Discussion: A rigid lockdown could expose people with BD to depressive relapse through dysregulation of biological rhythms. The return to more functional rhythms did not appear 1 month after lockdown. The rekindling of the pandemic and the restoration of new restrictive measures will prevent, at least in the short term, the beneficial effect of a return to normality of the two cohorts.This was a limited exploratory study; future studies with larger samples and longer observational time are needed to verify the hypothesis.


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