Possible role of antidepressants in precipitating mania and hypomania in recurrent depression

Multi-trial, aggregated, individual participant data mega-analysis of short-term antidepressant versus mood stabilizer monotherapy of bipolar type II major depressive episode

BACKGROUND

Few studies have systematically examined the safety and effectiveness of antidepressant versus mood stabilizer monotherapy of bipolar II depression. To date, there are no aggregated or mega-analyses of prospective trials of individual participant-level data (IPD) to inform future treatment guidelines on the relative safety and effectiveness of antidepressant or lithium monotherapy.

METHODS

Data from a series of four independent, similarly designed trials of antidepressant or lithium monotherapy (where longitudinal IPD were available) (n = 393) were aggregated into an IPD dataset (i.e., mega-analysis). Hierarchical log-linear growth models were used to analyze primary outcome of change over time in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) scores; while secondary outcomes examined Clinical Global Impressions severity (CGI/S) and change (CGI/C) scores, and change over time in Young Mania Rating (YMR) scores.

RESULTS

Relative to lithium monotherapy, antidepressant monotherapy demonstrated significantly greater symptom reduction on HRSD scores across time (b = -2.33, t = -6.68, p < 0.0001), significantly greater symptom reduction on the CGI/S across time (b = -0.414, t = -6.32, p < 0.001), and a significant improvement in CGI/C across time (b = -0.47, t = -7.43, p < 0.0001). No differences were observed in change over time for YMR scores between antidepressant and lithium monotherapy (b = 0.06, t = 0.49, p = 0.62).

CONCLUSION

Findings from this IPD mega-analysis of bipolar II depression trials suggest a divergence from current evidence-based guidelines recommending combined mood stabilizer plus antidepressant therapy. The current mega-analysis suggests that antidepressant monotherapy may provide superior short-term effectiveness without clinically meaningful increase in treatment-emergent hypomanic symptoms compared to lithium monotherapy.

Associations of presenting symptoms and subsequent adverse clinical outcomes in people with unipolar depression: a prospective natural language processing (NLP), transdiagnostic, network analysis of electronic health record (EHR) data

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the associations of symptoms of mania and depression with clinical outcomes in people with unipolar depression.

DESIGN

A natural language processing electronic health record study. We used network analysis to determine symptom network structure and multivariable Cox regression to investigate associations with clinical outcomes.

SETTING

The South London and Maudsley Clinical Record Interactive Search database.

PARTICIPANTS

All patients presenting with unipolar depression between 1 April 2006 and 31 March 2018.

EXPOSURE

(1) Symptoms of mania: Elation; Grandiosity; Flight of ideas; Irritability; Pressured speech. (2) Symptoms of depression: Disturbed mood; Anhedonia; Guilt; Hopelessness; Helplessness; Worthlessness; Tearfulness; Low energy; Reduced appetite; Weight loss. (3) Symptoms of mania or depression (overlapping symptoms): Poor concentration; Insomnia; Disturbed sleep; Agitation; Mood instability.

MAIN OUTCOMES

(1) Bipolar or psychotic disorder diagnosis. (2) Psychiatric hospital admission.

RESULTS

Out of 19 707 patients, at least 1 depression, overlapping or mania symptom was present in 18 998 (96.4%), 15 954 (81.0%) and 4671 (23.7%) patients, respectively. 2772 (14.1%) patients subsequently developed bipolar or psychotic disorder during the follow-up period. The presence of at least one mania (HR 2.00, 95% CI 1.85 to 2.16), overlapping symptom (HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.52 to 1.92) or symptom of depression (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.61) were associated with significantly increased risk of onset of a bipolar or psychotic disorder. Mania (HR 1.95, 95% CI 1.77 to 2.15) and overlapping symptoms (HR 1.76, 95% CI 1.52 to 2.04) were associated with greater risk for psychiatric hospital admission than symptoms of depression (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.88).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of mania or overlapping symptoms in people with unipolar depression is associated with worse clinical outcomes. Symptom-based approaches to defining clinical phenotype may facilitate a more personalised treatment approach and better predict subsequent clinical outcomes than psychiatric diagnosis alone.

Sex Differences in Responses to Antidepressant Augmentations in Treatment-Resistant Depression

BACKGROUND

Women are nearly twice as likely as men to suffer from major depressive disorder. Yet, there is a dearth of studies comparing the clinical outcomes of women and men with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) treated with similar augmentation strategies. We aimed to evaluate the effects of the augmentation strategies in women and men at the McGill University Health Center.

METHODS

We reviewed health records of 76 patients (42 women, 34 men) with TRD, treated with augmentation strategies including antidepressants (AD) with mood stabilizers (AD+MS), antipsychotics (AD+AP), or in combination (AD+AP+MS). Clinical outcomes were determined by comparing changes on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-C16), and Clinical Global Impression rating scale (CGI-S) at the beginning and after 3 months of an unchanged treatment. Changes in individual items of the HAMD-17 were also compared between the groups.

RESULTS

Women and men improved from beginning to 3 months on all scales (P < .001, η p2 ≥ 0.68). There was also a significant sex × time interaction for all scales (P < .05, η p2 ≥ 0.06), reflecting a greater improvement in women compared with men. Specifically, women exhibited greater improvement in early (P = .03, η p2 = 0.08) and middle-of-the-night insomnia (P = .01, η p2 = 0.09) as well as psychomotor retardation (P < .001 η p2 = 0.16) and psychic (P = .02, η p2 = 0.07) and somatic anxiety (P = .01, η p2 = 0.10).

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of AD+AP/MS generates a significantly greater clinical response in women compared with men with TRD, supporting the existence of distinct pharmacological profiles between sexes in our sample. Moreover, they emphasize the benefit of augmentation strategies in women, underscoring the benefit of addressing symptoms such as insomnia and anxiety with AP and MS.

Rate and significance of hypomanic switches in unipolar melancholic depression

One hundred and sixteen patients with RDC unipolar recurrent depressive disorder, melancholic subtype, were treated with imipramine or phenelzine and followed-up for six months. None of the patients had a first-degree relative with bipolar I disorder. Twenty-six patients (22.4%) presented an hypomanic episode (‘hypomanic group’). This group of patients, when depressed, had a significantly lower age of onset of the disorder and higher response to antidepressant therapy than patients who did not present an hypomanic episode. Significantly more patients (88%) of the ‘hypomanic group’ had at least one first-degree relative with a history of major depressive disorder. These patients displayed some of the typical features of bipolar II disorder. Overall results support the continuum in clinical phenomena between unipolar and bipolar disorders.

A Review of Antidepressant-Associated Hypomania in Those Diagnosed with Unipolar Depression-Risk Factors, Conceptual Models, and Management

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The nosology and management of antidepressant-associated hypomania (AAH) in the treatment of unipolar depression requires clarification. We sought to review recent studies examining AAH, focusing on risk factors, differing explanatory models, and management strategies.

RECENT FINDINGS

AAH occurs more frequently in those of female gender, younger age, and with a bipolar disorder (BP) family history. Depressive features (e.g., suicidal ideation, psychotic symptoms) in those with AAH were similar to those with established BPs. Explanatory models for AAH describe it as (i) a transient iatrogenic event, (ii) a specific "bipolar III" disorder, (iii) indicative of "conversion" to BP, (iv) acceleration of BP, and (v) coincidental and unrelated to antidepressant medication. Management recommendations include antidepressant cessation, atypical antipsychotic medications, or switching to a mood stabilizer. Determinants and management of AAH in the treatment of unipolar depression requires considerable clarification, likely to be achieved by close clinical review and refined research studies.

Is recurrence in major depressive disorder related to bipolarity and mixed features? Results from the BRIDGE-II-Mix study

BACKGROUND

Current classifications separate Bipolar (BD) from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) based on polarity rather than recurrence. We aimed to determine bipolar/mixed feature frequency in a large MDD multinational sample with (High-Rec) and without (Low-Rec) >3 recurrences, comparing the two subsamples.

METHODS

We measured frequency of bipolarity/hypomanic features during current depressive episodes (MDEs) in 2347 MDD patients from the BRIDGE-II-mix database, comparing High-Rec with Low-Rec. We used Bonferroni-corrected Student's t-test for continuous, and chi-squared test, for categorical variables. Logistic regression estimated the size of the association between clinical characteristics and High-Rec MDD.

RESULTS

Compared to Low-Rec (n = 1084, 46.2%), High-Rec patients (n = 1263, 53.8%) were older, with earlier depressive onset, had more family history of BD, more atypical features, suicide attempts, hospitalisations, and treatment resistance and (hypo)manic switches when treated with antidepressants, higher comorbidity with borderline personality disorder, and more hypomanic symptoms during current MDE, resulting in higher rates of mixed depression according to both DSM-5 and research-based diagnostic (RBDC) criteria. Logistic regression showed age at first symptoms < 30 years, current MDE duration ≤ 1 month, hypomania/mania among first-degree relatives, past suicide attempts, treatment-resistance, antidepressant-induced swings, and atypical, mixed, or psychotic features during MDE to associate with High-Rec.

LIMITATIONS

Number of MDEs for defining recurrence was arbitrary; cross-sectionality did not allow assessment of conversion from MDD to BD.

CONCLUSIONS

High-Rec MDD differed from Low-Rec group for several clinical/epidemiological variables, including bipolar/mixed features. Bipolarity specifier and RBDC were more sensitive than DSM-5 criteria in detecting bipolar and mixed features in MDD.

Short-term venlafaxine v. lithium monotherapy for bipolar type II major depressive episodes: effectiveness and mood conversion rate

BACKGROUND

Controversy exists over antidepressant use in bipolar II depression.

AIMS

To compare the safety and effectiveness of antidepressantv.mood stabiliser monotherapy for bipolar type II major depressive episodes.

METHOD

Randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, 12-week comparison of venlafaxine (n= 65)v.lithium (n= 64) monotherapy in adult out-patients (trial registration numberNCT00602537).

RESULTS

Primary outcome - venlafaxine produced a greater response rate (67.7%)v lithium (34.4%,P<0.001). Secondary outcomes - venlafaxine produced a greater remission rate (58.5%v 28.1%,P<0.001); greater decline in depression symptom scores over time (β = -5.32, s.e. = 1.16, χ(2)= 21.19,P<0.001); greater reduction in global severity scores over time (β = -1.05, s.e. = 0.22, w(2)= 22.33,P<0.001); and greater improvement in global change scores (β = -1.31, s.e. = 0.32, χ(2)= 16.95,P<0.001) relative to lithium. No statistically significant or clinically meaningful differences in hypomanic symptoms were observed between treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that short-term venlafaxine monotherapy may provide effective antidepressant treatment for bipolar II depression without a statistically significant increase in hypomanic symptoms relative to lithium.

The pharmacotherapeutic management of rapid cycling affective disorder: an update

In the present work the author presents a literature update regarding the pharmacotherapeutic management of rapid cycling affective disorder. This phenomenon is characterized, according to Dunner and Fieve (1974), by the presence of at least four affective episodes per year. After a consideration of the clinical features of the disorder, which are in many respects similar to those of the ‘classic’ bipolar disorder, the author describes the different therapeutic strategies available to the psychiatrist. Withdrawal of antidepressant therapy and administration of lithium salts are likely to constitute the best initial approach. In case of treatment non-responsiveness, it is possible to consider the use of different drugs; for example, carbamazepine, sodium valproate, clorgyline, thyroid hormone. To date, the therapeutic management of rapid cyclers remains extremely difficult. Further studies, especially addressed to the aetiopathogenetic aspects of the disorder, are required.

Treatment and outcome of antidepressant treatment-associated hypomania in unipolar major depression: a 3-year follow-up study

BACKGROUND

The main aim of this study was to propose a standardized acute and maintenance/continuation treatment protocol for acute antidepressant treatment-associated hypomania (AAH) in major unipolar depression. The second objective was to describe outcomes at three-year follow-up in a cohort of patients with AAH who had been included in this standardized therapeutic protocol.

METHODS

The study consisted of two distinct prospective phases: a 1-year follow-up first phase in which all consecutive patients with a diagnosis of moderate/severe unipolar depressive disorder received acute and continuation/maintenance antidepressant treatment; and a second phase, in which patients who had suffered AAH during the first phase were admitted to a 3-year follow-up with the authors-designed standardized acute and continuation/maintenance treatment protocol.

RESULTS

In our patient sample, the reintroduction of antidepressant treatment according to the proposed protocol was not accompanied by new AAH episodes following 11-36 months of pharmacological antidepressant treatment. The second notable result was that no subject presented manic episodes or spontaneous hypomania (once antidepressant maintenance treatment had finished) during three years of follow-up.

LIMITATIONS

We should be cautious when generalizing these results to patients with mild major depressive episode or other type of unipolar affective disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on these results, we should not refuse the prescription of antidepressant drugs to patients with unipolar depression and subsequent AAH. The treatment protocol which we describe in this study can serve as a basis for future studies and, in anticipation of future consensus, as a practical proposal for clinical psychiatrists.

One-year outcomes of unipolar depression patients with manic or hypomanic switch during acute antidepressant treatment

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to investigate one-year outcomes of unipolar depression patients with manic or hypomanic switch during acute antidepressant treatment.

METHODS

A review of medical records revealed 37 consecutive patients admitted from 1997 to 2002 who underwent an antidepressant-induced manic or hypomanic switch fulfilling DSM-IV criteria. Their clinical courses were retrospectively investigated after discharge.

RESULTS

Of the 37 patients, 33 (89.2%) were followed up for 1 year after discharge. None developed a manic episode, while seven developed a hypomanic episode, including 1 patient who was lost after emerging from a hypomanic episode within 6 months after discharge. Only one of those seven patients developed hypomania during acute antidepressant treatment for a recurrent depressive episode under maintenance mood stabilizer treatment. Furthermore, bipolar conversion occurred in four patients within the first 6 months and in another two patients, including 1 with rapid cycling, over the subsequent 6 months after discharge. Of these 33 patients, 28 received continuous maintenance treatment with mood stabilizers for the one-year period after discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

The subjects were considered to have a bipolar nature according to the prevalence rate of bipolar conversion over a one-year period. Longer follow-up studies appear warranted determine the diagnostic issues of antidepressant-induced switch in unipolar depression.

Antidepressant-associated mood-switching and transition from unipolar major depression to bipolar disorder: a review

OBJECTIVES

Compare reported rates of mood-shifts from major depression to mania/hypomania/mixed-states during antidepressant (AD)-treatment and rates of diagnostic change from major depressive disorder (MDD) to bipolar disorder (BPD).

METHODS

Searching computerized literature databases, followed by summary analyses.

RESULTS

In 51 reports of patients diagnosed with MDD and treated with an AD, the overall risk of mood-switching was 8.18% (7837/95,786) within 2.39 ± 2.99 years of treatment, or 3.42 (95% CI: 3.34-3.50) %/year. Risk was 2.6 (CI: 2.5-2.8) times greater with/without AD-treatment by meta-analysis of 10 controlled trials. Risk increased with time up to 24 months of treatment, with no secular change (1968-2012). Incidence rates were 4.5 (CI: 4.1-4.8)-times greater among juveniles than adults (5.62/1.26 %/year; p<0.0001). In 12 studies the overall rate of new BPD-diagnoses was 3.29% (1928/56,754) within 5.38 years (0.61 [0.58-0.64] %/year), or 5.6-times lower (3.42/0.61) than annualized rates of mood-switching.

CONCLUSIONS

AD-treatment was associated with new mania-like responses in 8.18% of patients diagnosed with unipolar MDD. Contributions to mood-switching due to unrecognized BPD versus mood-elevating pharmacological effects, as well as quantitative associations between switching and later diagnosis of BPD not associated with AD-treatment remain uncertain.

LIMITATIONS

Rates and definitions of mood-switching with ADs varied greatly, exposure-times rarely were precisely defined, and there was little information on predictive associations between mood-switches and BPD-diagnosis.

Treating bipolar depression - antidepressants and alternatives: a critical review of the literature

OBJECTIVE

Although depressive symptoms are preponderant in the course of bipolar (BP) disorders, the treatment of BP depression remains a controversial issue with different clinical approaches available. This review addresses the issues of whether antidepressants (ADs) are effective in treating acute and long-term BP depression, risks linked to ADs and what alternatives to ADs are available.

METHODS

We searched the MEDLINE databases using the following syntax: [bipolar depression AND unipolar depression AND (antidepressants OR anticonvulsants OR lithium OR antipsychotics OR dopamine-agonists OR psychoeducation OR psychotherapy OR electroconvulsive therapy OR transcranial magnetic stimulation)]. The search included studies published up to 31 May 2009 and conducted on adults.

RESULTS

In the acute treatment of BP depression ADs are effective with no differences among drug classes. However, neither the switch into (hypo)mania induction rate nor the suicide risk linked to AD use are definitely established. The effectiveness of long-term AD use is limited to highly selected samples of patients with positive acute response. The risk of long-term ADs causing cycle acceleration and rapid cycling induction concerns a subpopulation of patients. Valid alternatives to ADs in treating acute BP depression are quetiapine, an olanzapine-fluoxetine combination, and electroconvulsive therapy for more severe patients. Lamotrigine is effective and safe in preventing depressive relapses. Psychotherapy and psychoeducation represent effective adjunctive treatments.

CONCLUSION

In the treatment of BP depression there is not a specific effective treatment for all the patients. Interventions should therefore be personalised and the scientific evidence should be adapted to each patient's clinical features.

Mania associated with antidepressant treatment: comprehensive meta-analytic review

OBJECTIVE

To review available data pertaining to risk of mania-hypomania among bipolar (BPD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) patients with vs. without exposure to antidepressant drugs (ADs) and consider effects of mood stabilizers.

METHOD

Computerized searching yielded 73 reports (109 trials, 114 521 adult patients); 35 were suitable for random effects meta-analysis, and multivariate-regression modeling included all available trials to test for effects of trial design, AD type, and mood-stabilizer use.

RESULTS

The overall risk of mania with/without ADs averaged 12.5%/7.5%. The AD-associated mania was more frequent in BPD than MDD patients, but increased more in MDD cases. Tricyclic antidepressants were riskier than serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SRIs); data for other types of ADs were inconclusive. Mood stabilizers had minor effects probably confounded by their preferential use in mania-prone patients.

CONCLUSION

Use of ADs in adults with BPD or MDD was highly prevalent and moderately increased the risk of mania overall, with little protection by mood stabilizers.

Venlafaxine monotherapy in bipolar type II depressed patients unresponsive to prior lithium monotherapy

OBJECTIVE

We examine the safety and efficacy of venlafaxine monotherapy in bipolar type II (BP II) patients with major depressive episode (MDE) who were unresponsive to prior lithium monotherapy. We hypothesized that venlafaxine would be superior to lithium with a low hypomanic conversion rate.

METHOD

Seventeen patients who were unresponsive to prior lithium monotherapy were crossed to venlafaxine monotherapy for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was within-subject change in total Hamilton Depression Rating (HAM-D) score over time. Secondary outcomes included the change in Young Mania Rating (YMRS) and clinical global impressions severity (CGI/S) and change (CGI/C) scores.

RESULTS

Venlafaxine produced significantly greater reductions in HAM-D (P < 0.0005), CGI/S (P < 0.0005), and CGI/C (P < 0.0005) scores vs. prior lithium. There was no difference in mean YMRS scores between treatment conditions (P = 0.179).

CONCLUSION

Venlafaxine monotherapy may be a safe and effective monotherapy of BP II MDE with a low hypomanic conversion rate in lithium non-responders.

Mania possibly induced by desvenlafaxine

A case is presented of the occurrence of an episode of mania apparently induced by desvenlafaxine, in a patient with a history of major depressive disorder and no apparent history of previous mania or hypo-mania. To our knowledge, this is the first such documented case with this new antidepressant. The discussion focuses on the concept of the bipolar spectrum, and how to view patients who have only become manic while taking antidepressants.

Treatment-emergent mania/hypomania in unipolar patients

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of treatment-emergent mania/hypomania (TEMH) and to describe the clinical characteristics of patients with major depression experiencing this event during treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and/or interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT).

METHODS

Following an algorithm-based protocol, 344 patients with major depression confirmed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV disorders were treated with an SSRI, interpersonal psychotherapy, or their combination for nine months. The emergence of mania/hypomania was carefully monitored throughout the study using the Young Mania Rating Scale and clinical assessment.

RESULTS

Overall, eight patients experienced TEMH. The incidence of this event was 3.0% in patients treated with an SSRI and 0.9% in patients treated with IPT alone. Among patients treated with an SSRI, the difference between sites was higher than expected by chance alone (6.8% at Pisa and 0% at Pittsburgh, p = 0.002). Despite the adoption of an identical protocol at the two sites, some demographic and clinical characteristics of participants may account for this unexpected result. Alternatively, the greater number of episodes and earlier age of onset at the Pittsburgh site suggests that the unipolar course of illness was more clearly established prior to study entry.

CONCLUSIONS

TEMH is an infrequent event, occurring in 2.3% of patients treated for major depression. Nevertheless, its consequences are clinically relevant and require prompt and appropriate therapeutic interventions. For this reason, recognising those patients at risk for such an event is of paramount clinical significance. The observed difference in the incidence of TEMH between the two sites requires further investigation.

Switching, induction of rapid cycling, and increased suicidality with antidepressants in bipolar patients: fact or overinterpretation?

Antidepressants constitute a central cornerstone in the treatment of depressive syndromes. In bipolar patients, however, there is an ongoing controversy about their usefulness for at least 3 decades. Early reports, mainly concerning tricyclic antidepressants, have repeatedly pointed toward unfavorable side effects on the course of the disorder, namely switching into (hypo)mania, induction of rapid cycling, and increased risk of suicide. Most evidence for both unfavorable and favorable effects has been deducted, thus far, from small studies with methodological flaws. More substantiated evidence only recently became available. From this it appears that, at least, the switch risk, and perhaps also the risk for rapid cycling and new-onset suicidality have been overinterpreted. At the same time, these new data raise doubt about the efficacy of antidepressants as a primary-treatment choice in bipolar depression.

Comparison of short-term venlafaxine versus lithium monotherapy for bipolar II major depressive episode: a randomized open-label study

OBJECTIVE

Practice guidelines for the initial treatment of bipolar II (BP II) major depressive episode (MDE) recommend mood stabilizer (MS) monotherapy or combined MS plus antidepressant drug (AD) therapy. We hypothesized that initial AD monotherapy would be superior to MS monotherapy for BP II MDE with a low hypomanic switch rate.

METHODS

Bipolar II MDE patients were randomized to a 12-week open-label treatment with either venlafaxine monotherapy (n = 43) or lithium carbonate monotherapy (n = 40). The primary outcome measure was the 28-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D 28). The secondary outcome measures included the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), clinical global impressions severity and change ratings, and the proportion of patients classified as responder (with > or = 50% reduction in baseline HAM-D score) or as remitter (final HAM-D score, < or = 8).

RESULTS

Thirty-four venlafaxine-treated patients (79.1%) and 15 lithium-treated patients (37.5%) completed the trial (P < 0.0005). Venlafaxine monotherapy produced a greater reduction in HAM-D 28 scores, with a difference in change of -6.57 points (95% confidence interval, -11.97 to -1.18) (P = 0.017) between treatment conditions. There was a greater proportion of venlafaxine-treated (vs lithium-treated) patients classified either as treatment responder (58.1% vs 20.0%; P < 0.0005) or as treatment remitter (44.2% vs 7.5%; P < 0.0005) for the HAM-D 28 scores. There was no significant increase in mean YMRS scores over time in the venlafaxine (vs lithium) treatment condition, and no significant increase in mean YMRS scores at any study visit compared with baseline for either treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Results from this study suggest that AD monotherapy with venlafaxine may be an effective initial therapy for BP II MDE with a low hypomanic switch rate.

Manic/hypomanic switch during acute antidepressant treatment for unipolar depression

A significant proportion of patients with unipolar depression clinically develop manic or hypomanic switch during acute antidepressant treatment. Elucidation of its prevalence and predicting factors is of clinical relevance during acute antidepressant treatment of such patients. We retrospectively studied patients with unipolar depression who were admitted to our department during the 6-year period from 1997 to 2002 and who had fewer than 3 previous episodes before admission. The clinical background of the consecutive patients with manic/hypomanic switch (n = 37) who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria was compared with that of patients without manic/hypomanic switch (n = 245). The prevalence rate of manic/hypomanic switch was 13.1%. The switch group was composed of 23 men and 14 women, whose average age was 48.8 +/- 12.3 years (range, 26-78 years). Manic/hypomanic switch was most frequently observed between 2 and 3 weeks after the antidepressant was increased to the ongoing dose. Antidepressants were decreased in 13 patients and discontinued in 23. Manic/hypomanic episodes lasted from 1 to 8 weeks. The patients in the switch group included a greater proportion of male subjects and had a higher frequency of family history of bipolar disorders than those in the nonswitch group. The mean doses of antidepressants were not significantly different between these groups. The higher frequency of manic/hypomanic switch occurring around the period when antidepressants begin to show clinical effects and the higher frequency of family history of bipolar disorders might suggest a biological susceptibility to antidepressants in patients of the switch group.

The DSM-IV and ICD-10 categories of recurrent [major] depressive and bipolar II disorders: evidence that they lie on a dimensional spectrum

BACKGROUND

Presently it is a hotly debated issue whether unipolar and bipolar disorders are categorically distinct or lie on a spectrum. We used the ongoing Ravenna-San Diego Collaboration database to examine this question with respect to major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar II (BP-II).

METHODS

The study population in FB's Italian private practice setting comprised consecutive 650 outpatients presenting with major depressive episode (MDE) and ascertained by a modified version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Differential assignment of patients into MDD versus BP-II was made on the basis of discrete hypomanic episodes outside the timeframe of an MDE. In addition, hypomanic signs and symptoms during MDE (intra-MDE hypomania) were systematically assessed and graded by the Hypomania Interview Guide (HIG). The frequency distributions of the HIG total scores in each of the MDD, BP-II and the combined entire sample were plotted using the kernel density estimate. Finally, bipolar family history (BFH) was investigated by structured interview (the Family History Screen).

RESULTS

There were 261 MDD and 389 BP-II. As in the previous smaller samples, categorically defined BP-II compared with MDD had significantly earlier age at onset, higher rates of familial bipolarity (mostly BP-II), history of MDE recurrences (>or=5), and atypical features. However, examining hypomania scores dimensionally, whether we examined the MDD, BP-II, or the combined sample, kernel density estimate distribution of these scores had a normal-like shape (i.e., no bimodality). Also, in the combined sample of MDE, we found a dose-response relationship between BFH loading and intra-MDE hypomania measured by HIG scores.

LIMITATIONS

Although the interviewer (FB) could not be blind to the diagnostic status of his private patients, the systematic rigorous interview process in a very large clinical population minimized any unintended biases.

CONCLUSIONS

Unlike previous studies that have examined the number of DSM-IV hypomanic signs and symptoms both outside and during MDE, the present analyses relied on the more precise hypomania scores as measured by the HIG. The finding of a dose-response relationship between BFH and HIG scores in the sample at large strongly suggests a continuity between BP-II and MDD. Our data indicate that even in those clinically depressed patients without past hypomanic episodes (so-called "unipolar" MDD), such scores are normally rather than bimodally distributed during MDE. Moreover, the absence of a 'zone of rarity' in the distribution of hypomanic scores in the combined total, MDD and BP-II MDE samples, indicates that MDD and BP-II exist on a dimensional spectrum. From a nosologic perspective, our data are contrary to what one would expect from a categorical unipolar-bipolar distinction. In practical terms, intra-MDE hypomania and BFH, especially in recurrent MDD, represent strong indicators of bipolarity.

Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) guidelines for the management of patients with bipolar disorder: consensus and controversies

Since the previous publication of Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) guidelines in 1997, there has been a substantial increase in evidence-based treatment options for bipolar disorder. The present guidelines review the new evidence and use criteria to rate strength of evidence and incorporate effectiveness, safety, and tolerability data to determine global clinical recommendations for treatment of various phases of bipolar disorder. The guidelines suggest that although pharmacotherapy forms the cornerstone of management, utilization of adjunctive psychosocial treatments and incorporation of chronic disease management model involving a healthcare team are required in providing optimal management for patients with bipolar disorder. Lithium, valproate and several atypical antipsychotics are first-line treatments for acute mania. Bipolar depression and mixed states are frequently associated with suicidal acts; therefore assessment for suicide should always be an integral part of managing any bipolar patient. Lithium, lamotrigine or various combinations of antidepressant and mood-stabilizing agents are first-line treatments for bipolar depression. First-line options in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder are lithium, lamotrigine, valproate and olanzapine. Historical and symptom profiles help with treatment selection. With the growing recognition of bipolar II disorders, it is anticipated that a larger body of evidence will become available to guide treatment of this common and disabling condition. These guidelines also discuss issues related to bipolar disorder in women and those with comorbidity and include a section on safety and monitoring.

Is treatment-associated hypomania rare with duloxetine: secondary analysis of controlled trials in non-bipolar depression

BACKGROUND

Selective serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) like duloxetine have the efficacy of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) with a more tolerable side-effect profile. Bipolar disorder is often undetected, with the most common misdiagnosis being unipolar depression. Studies have suggested that treatment of bipolar and unipolar depression with heterocyclic TCAs may increase the risk of switch rate to mania. Studies of antidepressants in unipolar major depression show a small risk of mania or hypomania, presumably because some bipolar depressives were mistakenly studied. This study investigated the rate of hypomania, mania, and hypomanic-like symptoms observed during treatment with duloxetine in patients with major depression.

METHODS

This was a retrospective analysis of data from eight placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trials of duloxetine in patients with non-bipolar major depression.

LIMITATIONS

The studies were of limited duration. Manic or hypomanic symptoms were not elicited using standardized mania rating scale instruments.

RESULTS

One case of mania occurred in the placebo group (0.1%), and two cases of hypomania were observed in the duloxetine-treated group (0.2%). Among hypomanic-like symptoms, only insomnia was significantly higher in the duloxetine group than in the placebo group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Duloxetine was associated with a low incidence of treatment-emergent hypomania, mania, or hypomanic-like symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). The low incidence reported here may be due to greater diagnostic diligence on the part of the investigators. It is possible that the cases reported likely reflect inclusion of misdiagnosed bipolar II patients rather than true unipolar MDD cases. The effect of duloxetine in patients with bipolar depression is not known.

Comparison of fluoxetine, olanzapine, and combined fluoxetine plus olanzapine initial therapy of bipolar type I and type II major depression--lack of manic induction

OBJECTIVE

Current guidelines for the initial treatment of bipolar type I (BP I) and bipolar type II (BP II) major depressive episode (MDE) recommend avoiding the use of antidepressant drugs due to concerns over drug-induced manic switch episodes. However, recent evidence suggests that the manic switch rate during SSRI therapy of BP MDE may be lower than previously thought. This preliminary, placebo-controlled study examines the relative rates of treatment-emergent manic symptoms during fluoxetine monotherapy, olanzapine monotherapy, and combined fluoxetine plus olanzapine therapy of BP I and BP II MDE.

METHODS

32 BP I and 2 BP II MDE patients were randomized to receive double-blind therapy with fluoxetine monotherapy 10-30 mg daily, olanzapine monotherapy 5-20 mg daily, combined therapy with fluoxetine 10-40 mg plus olanzapine 5-15 mg daily, or placebo for up to 8 weeks. Outcome measures included the 17-item HAM-D, 17-item HAM-D "atypical" symptom profile (HAM-D 17-R), 28 item HAM-D, Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and the Young Mania Rating (YMR) scale.

RESULTS

There were significant reductions over time in mean HAM-D 28 and MADRS ratings for all treatment groups (p<0.006). However, there were no differences among treatment conditions (p=ns). There was no significant increase in YMR scores over time in any treatment group. In contrast, there was a significant reduction in the mean YMR score in the fluoxetine-treated patients over time (p=0.008). No patient met DSM IV criteria for a manic episode.

LIMITATIONS

Cohort sizes were limited and the study was not powered to detect statistical differences in efficacy or mania symptoms among treatment conditions. The dose of fluoxetine was modest and the treatment duration was limited to 8 weeks.

CONCLUSION

These observations support earlier findings of a low manic switch rate during fluoxetine monotherapy of BP I and BP II MDE, and suggest that fluoxetine may be a safe initial treatment of BP MDE alone or in combination with olanzapine.

Bipolar II disorder: a review

OBJECTIVES

To review the current knowledge of bipolar II disorder.

METHODS

Literature was reviewed after conducting a Medline search and a hand search of relevant literature.

RESULTS

Bipolar II disorder is a common disorder, with a prevalence of approximately 3-5%. Distinct clinical features of bipolar II disorder have been described. The key to diagnosis is the recognition of past hypomania, while depression is the typical presenting feature of the illness. This is responsible for a significant rate of missed diagnosis, and consequent management according to unipolar guidelines. It is unclear if bipolar II disorder is over-represented amongst resistant depression populations and if abrupt offset of antidepressant action is a phenomenon over represented in bipolar II disorder, reflecting induction of predominantly depressive cycling. A few mood-stabilizer studies available provide provisional suggestion of utility. A supportive role for psychosocial therapies is suggested, however, there is a sparsity of published studies specific to bipolar II disorder cohorts. A small number of short-term antidepressant trials have suggested efficacy, however, compelling long-term maintenance data is absent.

CONCLUSIONS

An emerging literature on the specific clinical signature and management of the disorder exists, however, this is disproportionately small relative to the epidemiology and clinical significance of the disorder.

Mood changes related to antidepressants: a longitudinal study of patients with bipolar disorder in a naturalistic setting

This prospective, longitudinal study investigated the frequency and pattern of mood changes between outpatients receiving usual care for bipolar disorder who were either taking or not taking antidepressants. Eighty patients with bipolar disorder self-reported mood and psychiatric medications daily for 3 months using a computerized system (ChronoRecord) and returned 8662 days of data. Of the total group of 80 patients, 47 took antidepressants; 33 did not. Patients taking antidepressants reported depression twice as frequently (29% of days vs. 13.8% of days). In both groups, two-thirds of all mood changes over a 1-, 2- and 3-day period were small, between -5 and 5 on a 100-point scale. No statistically significant difference was found in the frequency of large mood changes (>10 on a 100-point scale) or in switches between depression and mania (0.7% if not taking antidepressants vs. 0.9% if taking), independent of diagnosis of bipolar I or II. Eighty-nine percent of patients taking antidepressants were also taking mood stabilizers. In this naturalistic setting, no significant difference between the rate of switches to mania or rapid cycling was found between those taking and not taking antidepressants, regardless of diagnosis. The primary difference in pattern between the groups was the time spent in depressed or normal mood, with minor daily mood variations.

Validating Kraepelin's two types of depressive mixed states: "depression with flight of ideas" and "excited depression"

Despite a venerable classic tradition going back to at least Kraepelin, depressive mixed states (DMX) are not represented in official diagnostic manuals in psychiatry. We have operationalised this condition as a major depressive episode (MDE) with three or more intra-episode hypomanic signs and symptoms (DMX3). Of 320 consecutive bipolar II outpatients, presenting for MDE treatment and interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, modified to permit the systematic evaluation of hypomanic features during the index MDE, 200 met our criteria for DMX3 (62.5%). When compared with the remaining non-DMX bipolar II, they had significantly earlier age at onset, higher percentage of females, atypical features and bipolar family history. Multivariate logistic regression ofintra-MDE hypomanic signs and symptoms found evidence supporting an "excited depression" subtype (defined by the core feature of psychomotor agitation, and further characterised by talkativeness, irritable mood and distractability) and a "depression with flight of ideas" subtype (defined by the core feature of racing/crowded thoughts, and further characterised by risky pleasurable impulses including, among others, those with intense sexual arousal). We thereby documented the existence of two distinct DMX subtypes which testify to the clinical acumen of Kraepelin (and his pupil Weygandt) who in 1899 described these two subforms of depressive mixed states in more severely ill hospitalised patients.

A review of antidepressant-induced hypomania in major depression: suggestions for DSM-V

OBJECTIVES

To determine if the classification of 'antidepressant-induced hypomania' in DSM-IV is supported by available data.

METHODS

We reviewed the available scientific literature to examine the incidence of mania and hypomania in non-bipolar patients who were treated with antidepressants.

RESULTS

Eighty-nine per cent of studies of antidepressants in major depressive disorder patients reported no cases of treatment-induced hypomania. No instances of treatment-induced hypomania were reported in three large studies of patients with chronic forms of depression.

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of antidepressant-induced hypomania in major depressive disorder is within the rate of misdiagnosis of bipolar depression as unipolar. Depressed patients who experience antidepressant-associated hypomania are truly bipolar.

Antidepressant monotherapy for bipolar type II major depression

OBJECTIVES

Bipolar type II (BP II) disorder is thought to be distinct from BP I disorder on genetic and biological grounds, and it is not merely a milder form of the illness. It affects 1.5-2.5% of the US adult population, and is characterized by highly recurrent depressive episodes with a substantial morbidity from alcoholism and non-affective psychopathology, and a higher suicide rate than either BP I or unipolar depression. Treatment recommendations for BP II depression are based upon concerns over drug-induced manic-switch episodes, and suggest using either a mood stabilizer alone or a combination of an SSRI plus a mood stabilizer. Recent evidence, however, indicates that the rate of manic switch episodes may be modest in BP II patients. Recent studies have provided evidence that antidepressant monotherapy may be an effective initial and long-term treatment for BP II major depression with a low manic-switch rate.

METHODS

In this article, we review the recent literature on BP II disorder, with a focus on the treatment of BP II major depression.

RESULTS

We present a summary of data from recent studies by our group and others indicating that antidepressant monotherapy for BP II depression may be safe and effective with a low manic-switch rate.

CONCLUSION

Antidepressant monotherapy may be beneficial for some patients with BP II major depression.

Antidepressants in bipolar disorder: the case for caution

The 2002 American Psychiatric Association (APA) guidelines for the treatment of bipolar disorder recommended more conservative use of antidepressants. This change in comparison with previous APA guidelines has been criticized, especially from some groups in Europe. The Munich group in particular has published a critique of assumptions underlying the conservative recommendations of the recent APA treatment guidelines. In this paper, we re-examine the argument put forward by the Munich group, and we demonstrate that indeed, conceptually and empirically, there is a strong rationale for a cautious approach to antidepressant use in bipolar disorder, consistent with, and perhaps even more strongly than, the APA guidelines. This rationale is based on support for the following four propositions: (i) The risk of antidepressant induced mood-cycling is high, (ii) Antidepressants have not been shown to definitively prevent completed suicides and reduce mortality, whereas lithium has, (iii) Antidepressants have not been shown to be more effective than mood stabilizers in acute bipolar depression and have been shown to be less effective than mood stabilizers in preventing depressive relapse in bipolar disorder and (iv) Mood stabilizers, especially lithium and lamotrigine, have been shown to be effective in acute and prophylactic treatment of bipolar depressive episodes. We therefore draw three conclusions from this interpretation of the evidence: (i) There are significant risks of mania and long-term worsening of bipolar illness with antidepressants, (ii) Antidepressants should generally be reserved for severe cases of acute bipolar depression and not routinely used in mild to moderate cases and (iii) Antidepressants should be discontinued after recovery from the depressive episode, and maintained only in those who repeatedly relapse after antidepressant discontinuation (a minority we judge to represent only about 15-20% of bipolar depressed patients).

Switching, cycling, and antidepressant-induced effects on cycle frequency and course of illness in adult bipolar disorder: a brief review and commentary

The potential for the induction of mania, increased cycle frequency, and other behavioral adverse events associated with antidepressant exposure in patients with bipolar disorder is becoming an increasingly important area of research study, as this diagnosis receives wider recognition in youth. While the majority of studies in the adult literature, and much clinical experience suggest that precipitation of mania and cycle acceleration are common phenomenon, the retrospective nature of many of the published studies, different criteria for subject inclusion, and the application of statistical methods that are vulnerable to computational artifact, continue to raise some questions, and leave a number of methodological issues unresolved. This brief review of the adult literature addresses some of these key issues with the aim of encouraging further research in this area of clinical psychopharmacology.

Which antidepressants flick the switch?

OBJECTIVE

The Black Dog Institute seeks to address issues of relevance to the clinical management of those with a mood disorder. This overview considers the capacity of antidepressant drugs, and particularly the new classes, to induce manic switching in depressed patients.

METHOD

Relevant literature is reviewed.

RESULTS

It is unclear whether antidepressant drugs from any of the classes induce switching in unipolar depressed patients. In bipolar depressed patients, the broad-spectrum tricyclic and monoamine oxidase inhibitor drugs present a clear risk of switching, the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors do not appear (at standard doses) to increase the risk, while the capacity of the dual action (serotonergic and noradrenergic) drugs to induce switching remains unestablished but may be slight.

CONCLUSIONS

As switching induced by narrow action antidepressants does not appear to present a substantive causal risk, clinicians can have confidence in prescribing certain anti-depressants for managing bipolar depression, and without any necessity to first prescribe a mood stabilizer to pre-empt switching.

Antidepressant-associated mania in late life

BACKGROUND

Elderly patients can present with mania for the first time late in life, and some elders treated with antidepressants can present with mania. Clinical characteristics of antidepressant-associated mania (AAM) in late life have not been examined.

OBJECTIVES

The aims of the study were to identify elders with AAM and to compare selected clinical characteristics to those of manic elders who had not been treated with an antidepressant. We hypothesized that AAM patients would have later age at presentation of bipolar disorder.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed inpatients with manic disorder who were aged >or=60 years. The sample was selected from admissions prior to 1990.

RESULTS

AAM patients (n = 11) were more often experiencing first manic episode, and they had later age at onset of first manic episode, compared to non-AAM patients (n = 46). Most of the AAM patients had been treated with tricyclic agents.

CONCLUSIONS

These preliminary findings invite further investigation. Related studies may contribute to risk-benefit analyses for the use of particular antidepressants in the elderly. Also, first episode mania in late life may prove to be a useful model of vulnerability to AAM.

When do antidepressants worsen the course of bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder may be more prevalent than previously believed. Because a substantial number of patients with bipolar disorder present with an index depressive episode, it is likely that many are misdiagnosed with unipolar major depression. Even if a correct diagnosis is made, depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder are notoriously difficult to treat. Patients are often treated with antidepressants, which, if used improperly, are known to induce mania and provoke rapid cycling. This article explores diagnostic conundrums in bipolar depression and their possible solutions, based on current research evidence. It also elucidates current evidence regarding the risks and benefits associated with antidepressant use and evaluates alternative treatment regimens for the depressed bipolar population, including the use of traditional mood stabilizers such as lithium, novel anticonvulsants such as lamotrigine, and atypical antipsychotics.

Treatment research in bipolar disorder: issues and recommendations

Bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder is one of the most common of the severe mental illnesses. Officially recognised forms comprise type I (with mania), type II (with hypomania), cyclothymia and a rapid-cycling subtype. International lifetime prevalence estimates are 1 to 5% of the general population, and bipolar disorder accounts disproportionately for idiopathic psychoses. Psychiatric and substance-abuse comorbidities are common complications, and mortality rates are increased as a result of high suicidal risks, accidents, complications of substance abuse and increased fatality of stress-sensitive medical illnesses. Complex and labile symptomatic presentations, a tendency for patients to deny illness and reject treatment, and diagnostic heterogeneity severely complicate the design, conduct and interpretation of experimental treatment trials in bipolar disorder. Progress in the short-term treatment of mania with certain antiepileptic drugs and atypical antipsychotic agents has advanced greatly in recent years; however, long-term treatment trials other than with lithium remain rare, as are studies of type II disorder, bipolar depression and mixed states, and there is limited information on treatment effectiveness against comorbidity, dysfunction and mortality. There is a growing realisation that bipolar disorder represents a major, largely unmet, international public health challenge and that innovative methods for carrying out reliable and generalisable long-term pharmacological treatment trials, alone and in combination with cost-effective psychosocial and rehabilitative interventions, are urgently required.

Antidepressant exposure in bipolar children

BIPOLAR disorder is increasingly diagnosed in children and adolescents. Given that antidepressants may precipitate mania, and with increased use of antidepressants in youths, it is reasonable to ask whether antidepressant administration might play a role in inducing earlier manic episodes. We reviewed all consecutive admissions with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder to a university-affiliated children's hospital, and collected information regarding previous exposure to antidepressants and stimulants. The mean age of diagnosis of bipolar disorder in our cohort was 12 +/- SD 3.47 years. Children who received prior antidepressant and/or stimulant treatments had an earlier bipolar diagnosis (10.7 +/- 3.05 years) than children never exposed to these medications (12.7 +/- 4.3 years; one-tailed t = -1.33, df = 22, p = .099, power = .93). Stimulants appeared to be tolerated for a longer duration than antidepressants (55.5 +/- 20.42 months vs. 6.7 +/- 8.22 months, t = 6.6, df =12, p = .0001). Despite methodological imperfections, results indicate that children exposed to antidepressants appear to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder earlier than those never exposed to these medications. Although far from conclusive, these data are consistent with the hypothesis that antidepressant treatment is associated with a manic episode earlier than might occur spontaneously.

Dose-response relationship of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors treatment-emergent hypomania in depressive disorders

OBJECTIVE

The notion that antidepressant treatment-associated hypomania or mania being pharmacologically induced has been challenged. To determine whether selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) induced hypomania is secondary to medication effects, we examined the dose-response relationship of SSRI-induced hypomania in two patients with depressive disorder.

METHOD

Case study.

RESULT

Hypomanic symptoms emerged during treatment with sertraline at the dose of 300 mg per day in a 45-year-old male with major depression. Paroxetine treatment at the dose of 80 mg per day induced hypomania in a 37-year-old female with dysthymia and trichitillomania. These patients have no family or personal history of bipolar disorder. Hypomania resolved when sertraline was decreased to 200 mg per day and paroxetine to 40 mg per day. No hypomanic switch was observed during 18-24 months follow-up.

CONCLUSION

In the absence of risk factors for manic switch, SSRI-induced hypomania may be dose-dependent medication effects.

Pharmacotherapy of depression and mixed states in bipolar disorder

The treatment of bipolar depression requires the resolution of depression and the establishment of mood stability. A basic problem is that the treatments used in treating bipolar depression were developed and proven effective for other disease states: antidepressants for unipolar depression, and mood stabilizers for mania. The panel addressed four unresolved questions regarding depression in relation to bipolar disorder: (1) the relative effectiveness of different antidepressant treatments; (2) the relative likelihood of mood destabilization with different antidepressant treatments; (3) the effectiveness and role of mood-stabilizing medicines as antidepressants; and (4) the optimal approach to mixed states. The selection of an antidepressant depends both on its relative lack of mania- or hypomania-provoking potential and on its effectiveness against bipolar depression. There is little definitive evidence distinguishing effectiveness of the major groups of antidepressive agents, so side-effect profiles and pharmacokinetics are major considerations. The underlying bipolar disorder should be treated with mood stabilizers started simultaneously with any antidepressive treatments. Lithium, divalproex sodium and carbamazepine have all been found to be helpful, to some extent, in treating bipolar depressive episodes as well as for long-term mood stabilization. There is little evidence for long-term benefits of antidepressive agents in bipolar disorder, and some evidence that they may destabilize the disorder. Therefore, in contrast to the long-term use of mood-stabilizers, antidepressant use is recommended on a temporary basis. The duration of antidepressant treatment is determined by past history in terms of liability for mood destabilization, and by the ability of the patient to tolerate gradual antidepressant discontinuation without return of depression. Mixed states, where symptoms of depression and mania coexist, are regarded as a predictor of relatively poor response to lithium, and divalproex has been found to be more effective. Carbamazepine may too be useful in mixed states. Most patients with mixed states in actual practice require combinations of mood stabilizers, though there is little controlled data regarding such co-prescription, especially from a long-term perspective.

Rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. An overview of research and clinical experience

Although many studies of RCBD have been reported over the last 2 decades, knowledge remains limited. Higher incidence in women is the sole clearly replicated finding in most studies. This finding might be mediated by cyclothymia, a temperament that is of higher prevalence in women and that might be considered as a normal variant of RC. Many questions remain unanswered. Review of putative risk factors, such as hypothyroidism and treatment with antidepressants, provides no conclusive answers. There is clinical evidence to implicate both factors. In principle, the thyroid connection can be approached rationally, yet there seems to be no relationship between thyroid status and response to thyroid augmentation. For this reason and given the potential risks of long-term thyroid use, this strategy should not be the first one to be tried in RC. Cumulatively, naturalistic studies over the past 30 years have strongly implicated antidepressants in switching and cycle acceleration, yet the double-blind, controlled, prospective studies that are needed to provide definitive answers are unlikely to be conducted for ethical reasons discussed in this article. Bipolar family history of RC probands appears indistinguishable from non-RC probands, indicating that most likely RCBD does not breed true. Although RC seems to be more lithium resistant with less likelihood of being symptom-free after 2 to 5 years of follow-up, many of these patients nonetheless have resolution of the RC course. There is no marked difference in suicide rates. An association of RC with bipolar type II, D-M-I pattern and those who switch into mania or hypomania on antidepressants is a provocative possibility: Antidepressants might introduce RC by first inducing a switch during a depressive episode, creating a D-M-I pattern, a pattern that is poorly responsive to lithium, which eventually degenerates into RC. Again, this sequence might be mediated by the high prevalence of cyclothymia in bipolar II patients. Thus, data from phenomenology, family history, and long-term outcome do not support RC as a separate entity. RC appears to be a temporary complicated phase in the illness, not a stable feature. This was noted by Kraepelin: I think I am convinced that that kind of classification must of necessity wreck on the irregularity of the disease. The kind and duration of the attacks and the intervals by no means remain the same in the individual case but may frequently change, so that the case must be reckoned always to new forms. Data by Gottschalk et al testify to the chaotic mood swings of contemporary bipolar disorder. Moreover RC is seen in other medical diseases, such as epilepsy, in which patients have phases of increase in frequency of episodes (seizures) that become refractory to treatment. Further longitudinal prospective studies are required to understand the complexity of this intriguing phenomenon and to provide better treatments. Algorithms deriving from tertiary research or university-based clinical experience may not generalize to RC or otherwise treatment-resistant bipolar patients seen in more routine practice. Illness severity in RCBD generally precludes double-blind controlled investigations. Meanwhile, clinicians may rely on discontinuing antidepressants, maintaining patients on combined mood stabilizers--of which valproate is probably the most useful--and making judicious use of atypical neuroleptics. Benzodiazepines and alcohol (which produce withdrawal), caffeine, stimulants, exposure to bright light, and sleep deprivation during excited phases should be avoided. Thyroid and nimodipine augmentation can be considered in those with the most malignant course. These are patients who need the maximal support that their psychiatrist can provide them. Office visits must be arranged as the last appointment of the day.

Guanfacine and secondary mania in children

INTRODUCTION

Guanfacine hydrochloride is an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, which has gained recent attention in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry. This medication has been described as effective in the management of attention-deficit hyperactivity and tic disorders, with minimal side effects.

METHODS

Presented here are five cases of behavioral activation in children treated with guanfacine.

RESULTS

In each instance the clinical presentation resembled an acute hypomanic or manic episode. The dose of guanfacine was 0.5 mg/day. Later investigation revealed that all of the youngsters had clear risk factors (clinical and/or familial) for bipolar disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

It appears as though guanfacine may be capable of precipitating secondary mania in vulnerable children.

Comparison of early- and late-onset rapid cycling affective disorders: clinical course and response to pharmacotherapy

This study compared the clinical course and response to pharmacotherapy of patients with rapid cycling affective disorder (RCAD). A retrospective study was conducted on outpatients with affective disorder from 1991 to 1992 at Okayama University Medical School to select cases of RCAD. The subjects were 35 patients who fulfilled DSM-III-R criteria for mood disorder and had experienced at least four episodes of illness during the previous year. The subjects were divided into two groups according to their age at the first phase of affective illness: an early-onset group, consisting of patients aged 25 years or younger, and a late-onset group, consisting of patients aged 26 or older. There were 14 patients in the early-onset group and 21 in the late-onset group. Both the mean duration from onset to rapid cycling and the mean duration of each phase were shorter in the early-onset group than in the late-onset group. There were no significant differences between the groups in period of remission, character of the first episode, heredity, or thyroid function. Lithium carbonate therapy was more effective for reducing manic symptoms in the late-onset group than in the early-onset group, without maintaining a prophylactic effect in either group, whereas carbamazepine was more effective in the early-onset group. Antidepressants used in the depressive phase had a tendency to be more effective in the late-onset than in the early-onset group. However, rapid cycling induced by antidepressants was more evident in the late-onset than in the early-onset group. These findings supported the differentiation of RCAD into two groups based on age at onset, the early-onset group showing a rapid cycling course at an early stage and a good response to carbamazepine, the late-onset group having a relatively long disease duration until the appearance of a rapid cycling course and a good response to lithium carbonate in the manic phase and to antidepressants in the depressive phase.

Antidepressant-associated hypomania in outpatient depression: a 203-case study in private practice

The incidence of hypomania/mania was studied in 203 consecutive mood disorder outpatients, presenting for treatment of depression in private practice, during a follow-up of 3 to 6 months. Of these 50.7% were unipolar, 45.3% were bipolar II, and 3.9% were bipolar I patients. Compared to unipolar patients, bipolar II patients had a threefold greater risk of switching (17.3% vs. 5.8%, a significant difference), but a lower rate than expected from previous work. In a previous analysis of the whole sample, bipolar II patients had a lower age at onset and more frequent atypical features than unipolar patients. Both unipolar and bipolar switchers had instead early age at onset and frequent atypical features, suggesting that these factors might increase the risk of switching in unipolar depression.

Induction of mania with serotonin reuptake inhibitors

Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) are now considered the first-line treatment for depression, but they have not been well studied in bipolar disorder. Recently, some authors have recommended that patients at risk for antidepressant-induced mania be treated with SRIs rather than tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). Clinical information about 11 patients who developed mania during treatment with SRIs is described. These patients were found to have personal or family histories of hypomania or mania, but these disorders were not usually recognized at the time of the patients' initial treatment for depression. The SRI-induced manic episodes were also quite severe, having psychotic features or requiring patients to be secluded for extreme agitation, but patients responded completely to antimanic treatment. The risk of treatment-emergent mania with SRIs is not trivial, especially among patients at risk for bipolar disorder. Additional research is needed to compare the actual rate of drug-induced mania with SRIs and TCAs in patients with different bipolar subtypes, while controlling for concurrent antimanic drug use.

Undue mood elevation in unipolar patients following cessation of lithium augmentation treatment: implications for the understanding of mood disorders

OBJECTIVE

The precipitation of hypomania or mania in some patients with apparent unipolar (UP) depression by the use of antidepressants, lithium augmentation, or antidepressant withdrawal has been described in the literature. However, only 4 cases have been reported where undue mood elevation in UP patients followed lithium termination. To add to the literature, we report 2 cases where mood elevation followed cessation of lithium augmentation treatment.

METHOD

Observations were continued on 2 patients receiving an antidepressant plus lithium augmentation after cessation of the lithium treatment.

RESULT

There was undue mood elevation in these patients immediately following lithium termination.

CONCLUSION

This observation supports the view that there is extensive vulnerability to bipolar disorder among patients with multiple depressions.