Manic Episode (manic + episode)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Family Transactions and Relapse in Bipolar Disorder,

FAMILY PROCESS, Issue 1 2001
Irwin S. Rosenfarb Ph.D.
This study examined whether patient symptoms and relatives' affective behavior, when expressed during directly observed family interactions, are associated with the short-term course of bipolar disorder. Twenty-seven bipolar patients and their relatives participated in two 10-minute family interactions when patients were discharged after a manic episode. Results indicated that patients who showed high levels of odd and grandiose thinking during the interactions were more likely to relapse during a 9-month followup period than patients who did not show these symptoms during the family discussions. Relapse was also associated with high rates of harshly critical and directly supportive statements by relatives. Patients' odd thinking and relatives' harsh criticism were significantly more likely to be correlated when patients relapsed (r = .53) than when they did not relapse (r = .12). Results suggest that bipolar patients who show increased signs of residual symptomatology during family transactions during the post-hospital period are at increased relapse risk. The data also suggest that relatives of relapsing patients cope with these symptoms by increasing both positive and negative affective behaviors. Moreover, a bidirectional, interactional relationship between patients' symptoms and relatives' coping style seems to capture best the role of the family in predicting relapse in bipolar disorder. [source]


The management of bipolar disorder in primary care: A review of existing and emerging therapies

PSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 3 2005
MICHAEL BERK mbbch, ff (psych), franzcp, mmed (psych)
Abstract, Recent evidence suggests that the prevalence of bipolar disorder is as much as fivefold higher than previously believed, and may amount to nearly 5% of the population, making it almost as common as unipolar major depression. It is, therefore, not unrealistic to assume that primary care or family physicians will frequently encounter bipolar patients in their practice. Such patients may present with a depressive episode, for a variety of medical reasons, for longer-term maintenance after stabilization, and even with an acute manic episode. Whatever the reason, a working knowledge of current trends in the acute and longer-term management of bipolar disorder would be helpful to the primary care physician. In addition, an understanding of important side-effects and drug interactions that occur with drugs used to treat bipolar disorder, which may be encountered in the medical setting, are paramount. This paper will attempt to review existing and emerging therapies in bipolar disorder, as well as their common drug interactions and side-effects. [source]


Effects of recurrence on the cognitive performance of patients with bipolar I disorder: implications for relapse prevention and treatment adherence

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 5 2010
Carlos López-Jaramillo
López-Jaramillo C, Lopera-Vásquez J, Gallo A, Ospina-Duque J, Bell V, Torrent C, Martínez-Arán A, Vieta E. Effects of recurrence on the cognitive performance of patients with bipolar I disorder: implications for relapse prevention and treatment adherence. Bipolar Disord 2010: 12: 557,567. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Objective:, To determine if the repeated occurrence of manic episodes in bipolar I disorder (BD-I) patients is associated with reduced cognitive performance, which could in turn imply a worsening in the disorder's evolution. Method:, Cognitive performance in euthymic patients was assessed using attention, memory, and executive function tests on 24 BD-I patients who had experienced only 1 manic episode, on 27 BD-I patients with 2 manic episodes, on 47 BD-I patients with 3 or more manic episodes, and on 66 healthy control subjects. Results:, In BD-I patients, number of manic episodes was positively associated with poorer performance on neurocognitive tests, an association that was not accounted for by depression, disease chronicity, onset, or medication. Significant differences in attention and executive function were found between patients and controls and in those patients who had had just 1 manic episode compared to those who had 3 or more. Conclusion:, The number of manic episodes predicted poor cognitive performance, suggesting that the recurrence of mania may have a long-term neuropsychological impact. Prospective follow-up studies need to be completed to explore this effect further as better treatment adherence may have a protective effect on neurocognitive function. [source]


Risperidone for the treatment of acute mania in children and adolescents with bipolar disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 7 2009
Magali Haas
Objectives:, To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of risperidone monotherapy for the treatment of an acute mixed or manic episode in children and adolescents with bipolar I disorder. Methods:, This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, 3-arm study (N = 169) included children and adolescents (ages 10,17 years) with a DSM-IV diagnosis of bipolar I disorder, experiencing a manic or mixed episode. Study participants were randomized to placebo (n = 58), risperidone 0.5,2.5 mg/day (n = 50), or risperidone 3,6 mg/day (n = 61) for 3 weeks. The primary efficacy measure was change in Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) total score from baseline to end point. Safety assessments included adverse event (AE) monitoring and scores on extrapyramidal symptom rating scales. Results:, Improvement in mean YMRS total score was significantly greater in risperidone-treated subjects than in placebo-treated subjects [mean change (SD) ,9.1 (11.0) for placebo; ,18.5 (9.7) for risperidone 0.5,2.5 mg (p < 0.001); ,16.5 (10.3) for risperidone 3,6 mg (p < 0.001)]. The most common risperidone-associated AEs were somnolence, headache, and fatigue. Mean (SD) weight gain was 0.7 (1.9) kg, 1.9 (1.7) kg, and 1.4 (2.4) kg in the placebo, risperidone 0.5,2.5 mg, and risperidone 3,6 mg groups, respectively, during this 3-week study. Conclusions:, At daily doses of 0.5,2.5 mg and 3,6 mg, risperidone was effective and well tolerated in children and adolescents experiencing acute manic or mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder. Results indicate that risperidone 0.5,2.5 mg has a better benefit,risk profile than risperidone 3,6 mg. [source]


Polarity at illness onset in bipolar I disorder and clinical course of illness

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 1 2009
Liz Forty
Objectives:, Studies have suggested that episode polarity at illness onset in bipolar disorder may be predictive of some aspects of lifetime clinical characteristics. We here examine this possibility in a large, well-characterized sample of patients with bipolar I disorder. Methods:, We assessed polarity at onset in patients with bipolar I disorder (N = 553) recruited as part of our ongoing studies of affective disorders. Lifetime clinical characteristics of illness were compared in patients who had a depressive episode at first illness onset (n = 343) and patients who had a manic episode at first illness onset (n = 210). Results:, Several lifetime clinical features differed between patients according to the polarity of their onset episode of illness. A logistic regression analysis showed that the lifetime clinical features significantly associated with a depressive episode at illness onset in our sample were: an earlier age at illness onset; a predominantly depressive polarity during the lifetime; more frequent and more severe depressive episodes; and less prominent lifetime psychotic features. Conclusions:, Knowledge of pole of onset may help the clinician in providing prognostic information and management advice to an individual with bipolar disorder. [source]


Mania as the first manifestation of Wilson's disease

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 3 2008
Alexandre Costa Machado
Background:, Although mental changes are frequent in Wilson's disease, severe psychiatric disorders occur uncommonly and usually accompany the neurological picture. There are few reports in the literature of Wilson's disease patients with typical bipolar affective disorder (BPAD). Case report:, The authors report the case of a patient with Wilson's disease whose initial manifestation was a manic episode followed by depression. Tremor in the upper limbs appeared one year after the onset of symptoms. The diagnosis of Wilson's disease was established three years after the first symptoms appeared, based on the neuropsychiatric picture, the detection of Kayser,Fleischer rings and the results of diagnostic tests indicating chronic liver disease and copper excess. ATP7B genotyping and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain with proton spectroscopy study were also performed. The patient became asymptomatic two years after starting treatment with penicillamine and remained non-symptomatic controlled during the eight-year follow-up period, without any specific treatment for the BPAD. Conclusions:, To our knowledge, this is a singular report of a case of Wilson's disease in which a manic episode preceded the onset of neurological symptoms. The association between Wilson's disease and bipolar disorder is discussed. [source]


Homicidal ideation with intent during a manic episode triggered by antidepressant medication in a man with brain injury

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 1 2008
Marie-José Dealberto
Background:, Mood disorders are more frequent after brain injury and both depressive and manic episodes are associated in these patients with an increased risk of aggression. Antidepressant medications are associated with a risk of manic induction. Case report:, We describe a case of homicidal ideation with intent during the onset of a manic episode in a patient with prior brain injury on antidepressant medication at low dosage. The manic episode could have been secondary to brain injury and/or triggered by antidepressant medications. This case raises the possibility of the sensitizing role of brain injury for antidepressant-induced mania. Conclusions:, Further studies are needed to assess the role of brain injury as a risk factor for antidepressant-induced mania. Physicians should be cautious when prescribing antidepressants to patients with prior brain injury and inform them and their relatives of the possibility of a switch into mania. [source]


Plasma free polyunsaturated fatty acid levels are associated with symptom severity in acute mania

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 7 2007
M Elizabeth Sublette
Objectives:, Nutritionally essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been implicated as potentially important factors in mood disorders. For instance, n-3 PUFA supplementation is reported to improve outcomes in major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. However, the role of PUFAs in acute mania has been minimally investigated. We performed a pilot study to compare plasma levels of free (non-esterified) and esterified PUFAs between patients in an acute manic episode and healthy volunteers, and to explore associations between symptom severity and levels of fatty acids and of the arachidonic acid metabolite, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Methods:, Patients (n = 10) who were medication-free for at least two weeks and seeking inpatient admission for an acute manic episode were compared with healthy volunteers (n = 10). Symptom severity was assessed at admission and after six weeks of naturalistic treatment. Fasting baseline free and esterified plasma levels of docosahexaneoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3), arachidonic acid (AA,20:4n-6) and the AA metabolite PGE2 were determined, and PGE2 levels were tested again at six weeks. Results:, No between-group differences were found in levels of individual or total fatty acids, or of PGE2. Among subjects, manic symptom severity correlated negatively with levels of free AA and free EPA, and positively with the free AA:EPA ratio. PGE2 levels did not differ between groups or in subjects pre- and post-treatment. Conclusions:, Our preliminary results suggest that, in susceptible persons, low plasma levels of free EPA compared with AA are related to the severity of mania. [source]


Dark therapy for mania: a pilot study

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 1 2005
Barbara Barbini
Background:, Recent findings suggest that extended bed rest and darkness could stabilize mood swings in rapid cycling bipolar patients. Method:, We exposed 16 bipolar inpatients affected by a manic episode to a regimen of 14 h of enforced darkness from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. each night for three consecutive days [dark therapy (DT)]. Pattern of mood changes were recorded with the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and compared with a control group of 16 inpatients matched for age, sex, age at onset, number of previous illness episodes and duration of current episode, and were treated with therapy as usual (TAU). Results:, Adding DT to TAU resulted in a significantly faster decrease of YMRS scores when patients were treated within 2 weeks from the onset of the current manic episode. When duration of current episode was longer, DT had no effect. Follow-up confirmed that good responders needed a lower dose of antimanic drugs and were discharged earlier from the hospital. Conclusions:, Chronobiological interventions and control of environmental stimuli can be a useful add-on for the treatment of acute mania in a hospital setting. [source]


Design and implementation of a randomized trial evaluating systematic care for bipolar disorder

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 4 2002
Gregory E Simon
Objectives: Everyday care of bipolar disorder typically falls short of evidence-based practice. This report describes the design and implementation of a randomized trial evaluating a systematic program to improve quality and continuity of care for bipolar disorder. Methods: Computerized records of a large health plan were used to identify all patients treated for bipolar disorder. Following a baseline diagnostic assessment, eligible and consenting patients were randomly assigned to either continued usual care or a multifaceted intervention program including: development of a collaborative treatment plan, monthly telephone monitoring by a dedicated nurse care manager, feedback of monitoring results and algorithm-based medication recommendations to treating mental health providers, as-needed outreach and care coordination, and a structured psychoeducational group program (the Life Goals Program by Bauer and McBride) delivered by the nurse care manager. Blinded assessments of clinical outcomes, functional outcomes, and treatment process were conducted every 3 months for 24 months. Results: A total of 441 patients (64% of those eligible) consented to participate and 43% of enrolled patients met criteria for current major depressive episode, manic episode, or hypomanic episode. An additional 39% reported significant subthreshold symptoms, and 18% reported minimal or no current mood symptoms. Of patients assigned to the intervention program, 94% participated in telephone monitoring and 70% attended at least one group session. Conclusions: In a population-based sample of patients treated for bipolar disorder, approximately two-thirds agreed to participate in a randomized trial comparing alternative treatment strategies. Nearly all patients accepted regular telephone monitoring and over two-thirds joined a structured group program. Future reports will describe clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the intervention program compared with usual care. [source]


Safety, tolerability and efficacy of a rapid dose escalation of quetiapine in bipolar I mania: the FATIMA study

ACTA NEUROPSYCHIATRICA, Issue 3 2009
Eric Constant
Objective: The FATIMA study (FAst TItration of quetiapine fumarate in bipolar I MAnia) evaluated the safety, tolerability and efficacy of a rapid dose escalation of quetiapine in acutely ill bipolar I patients experiencing a manic episode. Methods: In an open-label, phase II pilot study, 29 patients aged 18 years or older, hospitalised with a bipolar I manic episode, received quetiapine twice daily for 21 days. Quetiapine was administered at 200, 400, 600, then 800 mg/day on the first 4 days, with flexible dosing (400,800 mg/day) subsequently. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patient dropouts because of adverse drug reactions during the first 7 days. Secondary safety assessments included incidences of adverse drug reactions and significant changes in vital signs. Efficacy assessments included Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and Clinical Global Impressions Severity of Illness (CGI-S) score changes from day 1 to day 21. Results: Twenty patients (69%) completed the study. No patients withdrew as a result of drug-related adverse events (AEs) during the first 7 days. Twenty-three patients reported 58 adverse events, and most of the adverse events were mild or moderate. No clinically relevant abnormalities in vital signs were reported. Mean YMRS and CGI-S scores decreased significantly from baseline to day 21 (p < 0.001). Response and remission rates were 78 and 70%, respectively, at the end of the study. Conclusion: Rapid dose escalation of quetiapine to 800 mg/day over 4 days was well tolerated and effective in reducing symptoms within 5 days in acutely ill bipolar I patients with a manic episode. [source]


A novel scale for measuring mixed states in bipolar disorder

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY & PRACTICE), Issue 6 2009
Jonathan Cavanagh
Abstract Objectives: Conventional descriptions of bipolar disorder tend to treat the mixed state as something of an afterthought. There is no scale that specifically measures the phenomena of the mixed state. This study aimed to test a novel scale for mixed state in a clinical and community population of bipolar patients. Methods: The scale included clinically relevant symptoms of both mania and depression in a bivariate scale. Recovered respondents were asked to recall their last manic episode. The scale allowed endorsement of one or more of the manic and depressive symptoms. Internal consistency analyses were carried out using Cronbach alpha. Factor analysis was carried out using a standard Principal Components Analysis followed by Varimax Rotation. A confirmatory factor analytic method was used to validate the scale structure in a representative clinical sample. Results: The reliability analysis gave a Cronbach alpha value of 0.950, with a range of corrected-item-total-scale correlations from 0.546 (weight change) to 0.830 (mood). The factor analysis revealed a two-factor solution for the manic and depressed items which accounted for 61.2% of the variance in the data. Factor 1 represented physical activity, verbal activity, thought processes and mood. Factor 2 represented eating habits, weight change, passage of time and pain sensitivity. Conclusions: This novel scale appears to capture the key features of mixed states. The two-factor solution fits well with previous models of bipolar disorder and concurs with the view that mixed states may be more than the sum of their parts. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message: There is no clinical scale that specifically measures the phenomena of the bipolar mixed state. This new scale includes clinically relevant symptoms of both mania and depression in a bivariate scale. The scale appears to capture key features of the mixed state and endorses the view that mixed states may be more than the sum of their parts. [source]


A history of childhood attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) impacts clinical outcome in adult bipolar patients regardless of current ADHD

ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 3 2009
E. Rydén
Objective:, The occurrence of comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might have an impact of the course of the bipolar disorder. Method:, Patients with bipolar disorder (n = 159) underwent a comprehensive evaluation with respect to affective symptoms. Independent psychiatrists assessed childhood and current ADHD, and an interview with a parent was undertaken. Results:, The prevalence of adult ADHD was 16%. An additional 12% met the criteria for childhood ADHD without meeting criteria for adult ADHD. Both these groups had significantly earlier onset of their first affective episode, more frequent affective episodes (except manic episodes), and more interpersonal violence than the bipolar patients without a history of ADHD. Conclusion:, The fact that bipolar patients with a history of childhood ADHD have a different clinical outcome than the pure bipolar group, regardless of whether the ADHD symptoms remained in adulthood or not, suggests that it represent a distinct early-onset phenotype of bipolar disorder. [source]


Lithium treatment in Aarhus: contributions and controversies through half a century

ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2004
Per Vestergaard
In 1954 the first of several hundred publications on the use of lithium for treatment of affective disorders, lithium's unwanted effects, and its pharmacology was authored at the Aarhus University Psychiatric Hospital, the majority with Professor, now emeritus, Mogens Schou playing the principal part. The early part of this long series of papers highlights the pharmacology of lithium with its renal excretion, low therapeutic index, and ensuing risk of intoxication, the prophylactic effect not only against manic episodes but also the depressive ones and finally the long-term renal structural and functional impairment. Later papers present the problems related to lithium's lower effectiveness in routine clinical use, the problems of non-adherence, the dose effect relationships, and the problems inherent to establishing effective treatment service delivery. The present priority of the Aarhus lithium group is the simple large scale pragmatic effectiveness studies in which, together with domestic and foreign collaborators, we compare the long-term effectiveness of lithium with new promising drugs with mood stabilizing properties. The story of treatment with lithium in aarhus highlights important steps in the development of effective and comprehensive treatments for bipolar patients. [source]


Effect of risperidone on plasma catecholamine metabolites and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in patients with bipolar disorders

HUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 7 2006
Reiji Yoshimura
Abstract A combination treatment with a mood stabilizer and an antipsychotic drug is often used in as many as 90% of subjects with acute mania. Recently, augmentation therapy with atypical antipsychotics has been investigated in both the acute and long-term treatment of bipolar disorder with or without psychosis. In the present study, the authors investigated the efficacy of risperidone treatment for both acute manic and depressive episodes in bipolar disorder. Eighteen patients (M/F: 8/10, age: 34,±,15,yr) who met the DSM-IV criteria for bipolar I disorder (12 cases of manic episodes, 6 cases of depressive episodes) with risperidone treatment were evaluated regarding their clinical improvement using the Young Mania rating Scale (YMRS) and the Hamilton rating Scale for Depression (Ham-D). Plasma concentrations of HVA and MHPG were analyzed by HPLC-ECD and plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were detected by sandwich ELISA. The mean scores of the YMRS were 22, 18, 12, 8, and 5 at time points before and 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks after the risperidone administration, respectively. The mean scores of the Ham-D were 24, 25, 21, 21, and 19 at time points before and 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks after the risperidone administration, respectively. The plasma levels of HVA and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) were observed to have decreased 4 weeks after risperidone administration in manic patients. The levels did not change in depressive patients. The plasma levels of BDNF were decreased in depressive patients compared with manic patients or healthy controls. However, the administration of risperidone did not alter plasma BDNF levels. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Practitioner Review: The assessment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents

THE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 3 2009
Argelinda Baroni
Background:, An increasing number of youth are being diagnosed with, and treated for, bipolar disorder (BD). Controversy exists about whether youth with non-episodic irritability and symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should be considered to have a developmental presentation of mania. Method:, A selective review of the literature related to this question, along with recommendations to guide clinical assessment. Results:, Data indicate differences between youth with episodic mania and those with non-episodic irritability in longitudinal diagnostic associations, family history, and pathophysiology. In youth with episodic mania, elation and irritability are both common during manic episodes. Conclusions:, In diagnosing mania in youth, clinicians should focus on the presence of episodes that consist of a distinct change in mood accompanied by concurrent changes in cognition and behavior. BD should not be diagnosed in the absence of such episodes. In youth with ADHD, symptoms such as distractibility and agitation should be counted as manic symptoms only if they are markedly increased over the youth's baseline symptoms at the same time that there is a distinct change in mood and the occurrence of other associated symptoms of mania. Although different techniques for diagnosing comorbid illnesses have not been compared systematically, it appears most rational to diagnose co-occurring illnesses such as ADHD only if the symptoms of the co-occurring illness are present when the youth is euthymic. [source]


Effects of recurrence on the cognitive performance of patients with bipolar I disorder: implications for relapse prevention and treatment adherence

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 5 2010
Carlos López-Jaramillo
López-Jaramillo C, Lopera-Vásquez J, Gallo A, Ospina-Duque J, Bell V, Torrent C, Martínez-Arán A, Vieta E. Effects of recurrence on the cognitive performance of patients with bipolar I disorder: implications for relapse prevention and treatment adherence. Bipolar Disord 2010: 12: 557,567. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Objective:, To determine if the repeated occurrence of manic episodes in bipolar I disorder (BD-I) patients is associated with reduced cognitive performance, which could in turn imply a worsening in the disorder's evolution. Method:, Cognitive performance in euthymic patients was assessed using attention, memory, and executive function tests on 24 BD-I patients who had experienced only 1 manic episode, on 27 BD-I patients with 2 manic episodes, on 47 BD-I patients with 3 or more manic episodes, and on 66 healthy control subjects. Results:, In BD-I patients, number of manic episodes was positively associated with poorer performance on neurocognitive tests, an association that was not accounted for by depression, disease chronicity, onset, or medication. Significant differences in attention and executive function were found between patients and controls and in those patients who had had just 1 manic episode compared to those who had 3 or more. Conclusion:, The number of manic episodes predicted poor cognitive performance, suggesting that the recurrence of mania may have a long-term neuropsychological impact. Prospective follow-up studies need to be completed to explore this effect further as better treatment adherence may have a protective effect on neurocognitive function. [source]


Homicidal ideation with intent during a manic episode triggered by antidepressant medication in a man with brain injury

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 1 2008
Marie-José Dealberto
Background:, Mood disorders are more frequent after brain injury and both depressive and manic episodes are associated in these patients with an increased risk of aggression. Antidepressant medications are associated with a risk of manic induction. Case report:, We describe a case of homicidal ideation with intent during the onset of a manic episode in a patient with prior brain injury on antidepressant medication at low dosage. The manic episode could have been secondary to brain injury and/or triggered by antidepressant medications. This case raises the possibility of the sensitizing role of brain injury for antidepressant-induced mania. Conclusions:, Further studies are needed to assess the role of brain injury as a risk factor for antidepressant-induced mania. Physicians should be cautious when prescribing antidepressants to patients with prior brain injury and inform them and their relatives of the possibility of a switch into mania. [source]