Psychotic versus non-psychotic bipolar disorder: Socio-demographic and clinical profiles in an Italian nationwide study

Alterations in white matter microstructure in bipolar disorder patients with and without psychosis

OBJECTIVE

The overlap of affective disturbance and psychosis considerably makes it complex to determine the etiology of bipolar disorder (BD) and develop targeted interventions. The present study aimed to determine the white matter microstructural alterations that distinguish between BD with psychosis (BDP) and BD with no psychosis (BDNP) to identify patients who may specifically benefit from appropriately effective treatments.

METHODS

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images were acquired from 38 participants with BDP, 52 participants with BDNP and 70 healthy controls (HCs). The indices of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD) and axial diffusivity (AD) were computed and compared among the three groups via tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS).

RESULTS

Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed the main effects of group on the FA, MD and RD values of the forceps minor (FMI) of the corpus callosum, right anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), and left corticospinal tract (CST). Post hoc analysis revealed that BDP patients had lower FA value in the FMI than HCs did, as well as lower FA and higher RD values in the FMI than BDNP patients did, whereas BDNP patients had lower FA and MD values in the right ATR, as well as higher FA and lower RD values in the left CST than HCs did.

CONCLUSION

These findings provide further insights into the specific neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the presence of psychosis in BD patients and represent potential objective biomarkers for differentiating between BDP and BDNP.

Diagnostic error in mental health: a review

Diagnostic errors are associated with patient harm and suboptimal outcomes. Despite national scientific efforts to advance definition, measurement and interventions for diagnostic error, diagnosis in mental health is not well represented in this ongoing work. We aimed to summarise the current state of research on diagnostic errors in mental health and identify opportunities to align future research with the emerging science of diagnostic safety. We review conceptual considerations for defining and measuring diagnostic error, the application of these concepts to mental health settings, and the methods and subject matter focus of recent studies of diagnostic error in mental health. We found that diagnostic error is well understood to be a problem in mental healthcare. Although few studies used clear definitions or frameworks for understanding diagnostic error in mental health, several studies of missed, wrong, delayed and disparate diagnosis of common mental disorders have identified various avenues for future research and development. Nevertheless, a lack of clear consensus on how to conceptualise, define and measure errors in diagnosis will pose a barrier to advancement. Further research should focus on identifying preventable missed opportunities in the diagnosis of mental disorders, which may uncover generalisable opportunities for improvement.

Functional network characteristics in adolescent psychotic mood disorder: associations with symptom severity and treatment effects

Adolescent psychotic mood disorder (MDP) is a specific phenotype that characterized by more severe symptoms and prognosis compared to nonpsychotic mood disorder (MDNP). But the underlying neural mechanisms remain unknown, and graph theory analysis can help to understand possible mechanisms of psychotic symptoms from the perspective of functional networks. A total of 177 adolescent patients with mood disorders were recruited, including 61 MDP and 116 MDNP. Functional networks were constructed, and topological properties were compared between the two groups at baseline and after treatment, and the association between properties changes and symptom improvement was explored. Compared to the MDNP group, the MDP group exhibited higher small-world properties (FDR q = 0.003) and normalized clustering coefficients (FDR q = 0.008) but demonstrated decreased nodal properties in the superior temporal gyrus (STG), Heschl's gyrus, and medial cingulate gyrus (all FDR q < 0.05). These properties were found to be correlated with the severity of psychotic symptoms. Topological properties also changed with improvement of psychotic symptoms after treatment, and changes in degree centrality of STG in the MDP was significantly positive correlated with improvement of psychotic symptoms (r = 0.377, P = 0.031). This study indicated that functional networks are more severely impaired in patients with psychotic symptoms. Topological properties, particularly those associated with the STG, hold promise as emerging metrics for assessing symptoms and treatment efficacy in patients with psychotic symptoms.

Efficacy of vitamins B1 and B6 as an adjunctive therapy to lithium in bipolar-I disorder: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial

BACKGROUND

The use of adjunctive therapy for bipolar disorder is increasingly considered to increase the efficacy of standard treatments. In this randomized clinical trial, we evaluated the effect of vitamins B1 and B6 in separate treatment arms on mood symptoms, cognitive status, and sleep quality in hospitalized patients with bipolar disorder in manic episodes.

METHOD

In addition to receiving standard lithium treatment, participants (N = 66) were randomized to one of three conditions: 100 mg of vitamin B1, 40 mg of vitamin B6, or placebo. Outcomes were assessed one and 8 weeks of daily treatment, including the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Scale (PSQI), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). This study was performed between December 2020 and September 2021 based on the registration code number IRCT20200307046712N1.

RESULTS

Vitamin B6 had a significant effect (P value < 0.025 as significant) on mood improvement compared to placebo (F (1, 27.42) = 30.25, P < 0.001, r = 0.72), but vitamin B1 had no significant effect on mood improvement compared to Placebo (F (1/35.68) = 4.76, P = 0.036, r = 0.34). The contrasts between groups on PSQI showed a significant effect (P value < 0.025 as significant) of vitamin B6 over placebo for sleep status improvement (F (1/32.91) = 16.24, P < 0.001, r = 0.57) and also a significant effect of vitamin B1 over placebo (F (1/41.21) = 13.32, P < 0.001, r = 0.49).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of vitamin B6 as an adjunctive therapy to lithium can be associated with the improvement of mood symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder in the midst of a manic episode.

Are There Any Differences in Clinical and Biochemical Variables between Bipolar Patients with or without Lifetime Psychotic Symptoms?

INTRODUCTION

Psychotic symptoms occur in more than half of patients affected by Bipolar Disorder (BD) and are associated with an unfavorable course of the disorder. The objective of this study is to identify the differences in the clinical and biochemical parameters between bipolar patients with or without psychotic symptoms.

METHODS

A total of 665 inpatients were recruited. Demographic, clinical, and biochemical data related to the first day of hospitalization were obtained via a screening of the clinical charts and intranet hospital applications. The two groups identified via the lifetime presence of psychotic symptoms were compared using t tests for quantitative variables and χ2 tests for qualitative ones; binary logistic regression models were subsequently performed.

RESULTS

Patients with psychotic BD (compared to non-psychotic ones) showed a longer duration of hospitalization (p < 0.001), higher Young Mania Rating Scale scores (p < 0.001), lower Global Assessment of Functioning scores (p = 0.002), a less frequent history of lifetime suicide attempts (p = 0.019), less achievement of remission during the current hospitalization (p = 0.028), and a higher Neutrophile to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) (p = 0.006), but lower total cholesterol (p = 0.018) and triglycerides (p = 0.013).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with psychotic BD have a different clinical and biochemical profile compared to their counterparts, characterized by more clinical severity, fewer metabolic alterations, and a higher grade of inflammation. Further multi-center studies have to confirm the results of this present study.

Clinicodemographic correlates of psychotic features in bipolar disorder - a multicenter study in China

BACKGROUND

Psychotic symptoms are prevalent in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). However, nearly all previous studies on differences in sociodemographic and clinical factors between patients with (BD P +) and without (BD P-) psychotic symptoms were conducted in Western populations, and limited information is known in China.

METHOD

A total of 555 patients with BD from seven centers across China were recruited. A standardized procedure was used to collect patients' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The patients were divided into BD P + or BD P- groups based on the presence of lifetime psychotic symptoms. Mann-Whitney U test or chi-square test was used to analyze differences in sociodemographic and clinical factors between patients with BD P + and BD P-. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore factors that were independently correlated with psychotic symptoms in BD. All the above analyses were re-conducted after the patients were divided into BD I and BD II group according to their types of diagnosis.

RESULTS

A total of 35 patients refused to participate, and the remaining 520 patients were included in the analyses. Compared with patients with BD P-, those with BD P + were more likely to be diagnosed with BD I and mania/hypomania/mixed polarity in the first mood episode. Moreover, they were more likely to be misdiagnosed as schizophrenia than major depressive disorder, were hospitalized more often, used antidepressants less frequently, and used more antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. Multivariate analyses revealed that diagnosis of BD I, more frequent misdiagnosis as schizophrenia and other mental disorders, less frequent misdiagnosis as major depressive disorder, more frequent lifetime suicidal behavior, more frequent hospitalizations, less frequent use of antidepressants, more frequent use of antipsychotics and mood stabilizers were independently correlated with psychotic symptoms in BD. After dividing the patients into BD I and BD II groups, we observed notable differences in sociodemographic and clinical factors, as well as clinicodemographic correlates of psychotic features between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Differences in clinical factors between patients with BD P + and BD P- showed cross-cultural consistency, but results on the clinicodemographic correlates of psychotic features were not. Notable differences between patients with BD I and BD II were found. Future work exploring the psychotic features of BD needs to take types of diagnosis and cultural differences into consideration.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study was first registered on the website of the ClinicalTrials.gov ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ ) on 18/01/2013. Its registration number is NCT01770704.

Neurological and cerebellar soft signs in bipolar disorder: The role of staging, type and history of psychotic symptoms

AIM

Bipolar disorder (BD) patients show neurological abnormalities in form of neurological and cerebellar soft signs (NSS and CSS). NSS represents heterogeneous group of symptoms representing i.a. deficits of motor coordination, sequencing of complex motor acts and sensory integration. CSS were introduced as group of the neurological deficits of posture, gait, kinetic functions, eye movements and speech, associated more specifically to cerebellar abnormalities than NSS. Studies show significant effect size variability of those symptoms in BD group suggesting the existence of differing subpopulations. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of BD type, stage and the history of psychotic symptoms (HoPS) on the severity of CSS and NSS as none of the previous studies had verified the role of those categories.

METHODS

This study involved 181 participants: 116 euthymic BD patients (66 BD I, 50 BD II) and 65 healthy controls (HC). CSS was assessed with the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale and NSS with Neurological Evaluation Scale. Patients were divided into early and late stage of the disorder according to Kapczinski's criteria. Rater was blind to patients' stage, type and HoPS.

RESULTS

Staging was related to vast majority of CSS and NSS scores. HoPS was related to oculomotor deficits. The effect of BD type was the least significant. Late stage BD showed more severe CSS and NSS than HC in every measure. There were no differences between early stage BD and HC, apart of posture and gait disturbances. Except of sensory integration scores, late stage BD showed higher CSS and NSS rates than early stage patients.

CONCLUSION

In this hitherto the largest study of neurological abnormalities in BD we have shown significant role of staging in CSS and NSS severity. Progression criteria based on inter-episode psychosocial functioning may stand as unrecognised factor responsible for variability observed in previous studies evaluating neurological abnormalities in BD. Our study suggests that in clinical practice NSS and CSS may be potentially used as easy-to-assess biological marker of BD staging. Observed severity of neurological impairments of BD patients may more likely correspond to the disease progression than to BD type and HoPS.

Psychotic features, particularly mood incongruence, as a hallmark of severity of bipolar I disorder

BACKGROUND

The occurrence of psychotic features within mood episodes in patients with bipolar I disorder (BD I) has been associated in some studies with a more severe clinical and socio-professional profile. In contrast, other studies establishing the associations of psychotic features in BD I, and in particular of mood-congruent (MC) and mood-incongruent (MI) features, with clinical characteristics have yielded contradictory results. However, many pre-existing studies have been affected by serious methodological limitations. Using a sample of thoroughly assessed patients with BD I our aims were to: (1) establish the proportion of those with MI and MC features, and (2) compare BD I patients with and without psychotic features as well as those with MI to those with MC features on a wide array of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics including course, psychiatric comorbidity and treatment.

METHODS

A sample of 162 treated patients with BD I (60.5% female, mean age = 41.4 (s.d: 10.2) years) was recruited within a large family study of mood disorders. Clinical, course and treatment characteristics relied on information elicited through direct diagnostic interviews, family history reports and medical records.

RESULTS

(1) A total of 96 patients (59.3%) had experienced psychotic features over their lifetime. Among them, 44.8% revealed MI features at least once in their lives. (2) Patients with psychotic features were much less likely to be professionally active, revealed alcohol abuse more frequently and used health care, particularly inpatient treatment, more frequently than those without psychotic features. Within patients with psychotic symptoms, those with MI features showed more clinical severity in terms of a higher likelihood of reporting hallucinations, suicidal attempts and comorbid cannabis dependence.

CONCLUSION

Our data provide additional support for both the distinction between BD-I with and without psychotic features as well as the distinction between MI and MC psychotic features. The more severe course of patients with psychotic features, and particularly those with MI psychotic features, highlights the need for thorough psychopathological evaluations to assess the presence of these symptoms to install appropriate treatment.

Psychotic symptoms in bipolar disorder and their impact on the illness: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Lifetime psychotic symptoms are present in over half of the patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and can have an adverse effect on its course, outcome, and treatment. However, despite a considerable amount of research, the impact of psychotic symptoms on BD remains unclear, and there are very few systematic reviews on the subject.

AIM

To examine the extent of psychotic symptoms in BD and their impact on several aspects of the illness.

METHODS

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines were followed. An electronic literature search of six English-language databases and a manual search was undertaken to identify published articles on psychotic symptoms in BD from January 1940 to December 2021. Combinations of the relevant Medical Subject Headings terms were used to search for these studies. Articles were selected after a screening phase, followed by a review of the full texts of the articles. Assessment of the methodological quality of the studies and the risk of bias was conducted using standard tools.

RESULTS

This systematic review included 339 studies of patients with BD. Lifetime psychosis was found in more than a half to two-thirds of the patients, while current psychosis was found in a little less than half of them. Delusions were more common than hallucinations in all phases of BD. About a third of the patients reported first-rank symptoms or mood-incongruent psychotic symptoms, particularly during manic episodes. Psychotic symptoms were more frequent in bipolar type I compared to bipolar type II disorder and in mania or mixed episodes compared to bipolar depression. Although psychotic symptoms were not more severe in BD, the severity of the illness in psychotic BD was consistently greater. Psychosis was usually associated with poor insight and a higher frequency of agitation, anxiety, and hostility but not with psychiatric comorbidity. Psychosis was consistently linked with increased rates and the duration of hospitalizations, switching among patients with depression, and poorer outcomes with mood-incongruent symptoms. In contrast, psychosis was less likely to be accompanied by a rapid-cycling course, longer illness duration, and heightened suicidal risk. There was no significant impact of psychosis on the other parameters of course and outcome.

CONCLUSION

Though psychotic symptoms are very common in BD, they are not always associated with an adverse impact on BD and its course and outcome.

Clinical and psychopathological correlates of duration of untreated illness (DUI) in affective spectrum disorders

Affective disorders represent psychopathological entities lying on a continuum, characterized by high prevalence and functional impairment. A delay in treatment initiation might increase the burden associated with affective spectrum disorders. The present study was aimed at analyzing the correlates of a long duration of untreated illness (DUI) in these conditions. We recruited subjects diagnosed with affective disorders, both in- and outpatients, and collected information concerning socio-demographic, clinical, and psychopathological characteristics. Long DUI was defined according to previous research criteria as >2 years for Bipolar Disorders or >1 year for Depressive Disorders. Bivariate analyses were performed to compare subjects with a long and short DUI (p<0.05). A logistic regression was operated to evaluate the correlates of long DUI. In the present sample (n=135), 34.1% (n=46) subjects showed a long DUI. This subgroup presented with more physical comorbidities (p=0.003), higher body mass index (BMI) (p<0.001), more frequent anxiety onset (p=0.018), younger onset age (p=0.042), and more severe depressive symptoms (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale item 1-depressed mood (p=0.032) and item 2-guilt feelings (p=0.018)). At the logistic regression, higher severity of depressed mood (OR 1.568), higher BMI (OR 1.264), and younger age at onset (OR 0.935) were associated with long DUI. The present study confirmed a possible role of DUI as a construct underpinning higher clinical severity in affective spectrum disorders, possibly linked to worse illness course and unfavorable outcomes. Intervention strategies targeting physical comorbidities and depressive symptoms severity may decrease disease burden in subjects with a long DUI.

Is there an association between inflammatory/anti-oxidant markers and the presence of psychotic symptoms or severity of illness in mood and psychotic disorders? A multi-centric study on a drug-free sample

The immune and antioxidant systems are intimately connected and their role in the etiology of major psychiatric disorders is currently under study. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential associations between inflammatory/antioxidant peripheral markers and presence of psychotic symptoms or severity of illness in patients affected by major psychiatric disorders.

One hundred and twenty-six drug-free patients were included. A blood sample was collected to measure total/B/T lymphocytes and plasma levels of albumin, total bilirubin, uric acid, C-reactive protein, and vitamins A and E. Severity of illness was assessed using psychometric scales. Groups of patients divided according to diagnosis were compared in terms of measured markers using multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs). Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the potential association between markers and severity of illness or presence/absence of psychotic symptoms.

Albumin plasma levels were higher in patients with substance-induced psychotic disorder (SIPD) than subjects affected by schizophrenia (F ​= ​4.923; p ​= ​0.003). Lower vitamin E (OR ​= ​0.81; p ​= ​0.014) and T lymphocyte (OR ​= ​0.99; p ​= ​0.048) plasma levels were predictive of lifetime psychotic symptoms. Lower vitamin A levels were associated with higher Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale scores (β ​= ​-24.26; p ​= ​0.029), independent of diagnosis.

Patients with SIPD may be less vulnerable to oxidative stress. The severity of depressive symptoms, inversely associated with vitamin A plasma levels, is likely to be modulated by the degree of inflammation. Patients presenting with lifetime psychotic symptoms may be more vulnerable to oxidative stress and may have a higher activation of humoral immunity.

Which factors delay treatment in bipolar disorder? A nationwide study focussed on duration of untreated illness

AIM

The aim of the present study was to detect factors associated with duration of untreated illness (DUI) in bipolar disorder (BD).

METHOD

A total of 1575 patients were selected for the purposes of the study. Correlation analyses were performed to analyse the relation between DUI and quantitative variables. The length of DUI was compared between groups defined by qualitative variables through one-way analyses of variance or Kruskal-Wallis's tests according to the distribution of the variable. Linear multivariable regressions were used to find the most parsimonious set of variables independently associated with DUI: to this aim, qualitative variables were inserted with the numeric code of their classes by assuming a proportional effect moving from one class to another.

RESULTS

An inverse significant correlation between length of DUI and time between visits in euthymic patients was observed (r = -.52, P < .001). DUI resulted to be longer in patients with: at least one lifetime marriage/partnership (P = .009), a first psychiatric diagnosis of major depressive disorder or substance abuse (P < .001), a depressive polarity of first episode (P < .001), no lifetime psychotic symptoms (P < .001), BD type 2 (P < .001), more lifetime depressive/hypomanic episodes (P < .001), less lifetime manic episodes (P < .001), presence of suicide attempts (P = .004), depressive episodes (P < .001), hypomanic episodes (P = .004), hospitalizations (P = .011) in the last year.

CONCLUSIONS

Different factors resulted to increase the length of DUI in a nationwide sample of bipolar patients. In addition, the DUI was found to show a negative long-term effect in terms of more suicidal behaviour, more probability of hospitalization and depressive/hypomanic episodes.

Comorbidities, Depression Severity, and Circadian Rhythms Disturbances as Clinical Correlates of Duration of Untreated Illness in Affective Disorders

Background and Objectives: Affective disorders, namely bipolar (BDs) and depressive disorders (DDs) are characterized by high prevalence and functional impairment. From a dimensional point of view, BDs and DDs can be considered as psychopathological entities lying on a continuum. A delay in treatment initiation might increase the burden associated with affective disorders. The aim of this study is to analyze the correlates of a long duration of untreated illness (DUI) in these conditions. Materials and Methods: Subjects with BDs and DDs, both in- and outpatients, were recruited. Long DUI was defined according to previous research criteria as >2 years for BDs or >1 year for DDs. Socio-demographic, clinical and psychopathological characteristics of the recruited subjects were collected. Bivariate analyses were performed to compare subjects with a long and short DUI (p < 0.05). Results: In our sample (n = 61), 34.4% of subjects presented a long DUI. A long DUI was significantly associated with longer overall illness duration (p = 0.022) and a higher rate of psychiatric (p = 0.048) and physical comorbidities (p = 0.023). As for psychopathological features, depressive symptoms were more severe in the long DUI subgroup, as demonstrated by a higher score at the Clinical Global Impression-severity of depression (p = 0.012) item and at the anxiety/depression factor of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (p = 0.041). Furthermore, subjects with a long DUI displayed more severe disruption of circadian rhythms, as evaluated by the Biological Rhythms Interview for Assessment in Neuropsychiatry total (p = 0.044) and social domain (p = 0.005) scores and by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale diurnal variation items (18a: p = 0.029, 18b: p = 0.047). Conclusions: A long DUI may underpin higher clinical severity, as well as worse illness course and unfavorable prognosis in affective disorders. Intervention strategies targeting comorbidities, depressive symptoms and circadian rhythms may decrease disease burden in subjects with a long DUI.

Short-term air pollution exposure is associated with lower severity and mixed features of manic episodes in hospitalized bipolar patients: A cross-sectional study in Milan, Italy

Bipolar Disorder (BD) alternates depressive, manic or hypomanic phases. A manic episode (ME) is the main psychopathological condition of BD and it often requires hospitalization. Air pollution is thought to play a role in onset and exacerbation of several psychiatric disorders. We aimed to verify the association between exposure to particulate matter ≤10 μm (PM10) and ME severity, assessed through the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). We evaluated clinical records regarding 414 hospital admissions of 186 patients residing in Milan (Italy), hospitalized for ME in the Psychiatry Unit of the Policlinico Hospital from 2007 to 2019. Patients were assigned mean daily PM10 and apparent temperature levels of the Milan municipality. As exposure windows, we considered single days preceding hospitalization (lag0 to 7) and their average estimates (lag0-1 to 0-7). We applied mixed effect models, adjusted for relevant confounders. Short-term PM10 exposure was associated with a reduction in YMRS, both when considering daily lags [β: -0.43 (95% Confidence Interval: -0.83; -0.03) at lag0] and their average [-0.47 (-0.90; -0.04) at lag0-1]. YMRS was higher in psychotic patients (24.8) and lower in ME with mixed components (15.5) if compared to episodes characterized by neither mixed nor psychotic features (17.4, p < 0.001). While PM10 did not influence the risk of psychotic symptoms at admission, it was associated with a higher risk of ME with mixed features, with Odds Ratios ranging from 2.43 (1.02; 5.76) at lag0 to 3.60 (1.22; 10.7) at lag0-2. Our findings show that increasing levels of PM10 move the ME towards the depressive pole of the BD spectrum and augment the probability of hospitalization for ME with mixed components. These results have important clinical implications, as mixed features worsen the course of ME and make the management of bipolar patients challenging.

Factors influencing lithium versus valproate prescription preference in the maintenance treatment of bipolar patients: a report from the Italian Early Career Psychiatrists (SOPSI-GG)

BACKGROUND

Objective of the present manuscript is to investigate, among Italian early career psychiatrists (ECPs), prescriber and patient-related factors associated with lithium or valproate preference to treat patients affected by Bipolar Disorder (BD).

METHODS

An on-line survey was carried out among 252 ECPs, investigating their prescription patterns in relation to lithium and the differences with prescription of valproate. Collected data were compared according to lithium or valproate prescription preference in the long-term treatment of BD by χ² tests for qualitative variables.

RESULTS

Over two thirds of ECPs preferred lithium over valproate for the maintenance treatment of BD. Less than half of the sample used lithium as first-line agent for mania or major depression, and less than one third for mixed episodes. Factors associated with lithium preference as first-line maintenance treatment include perception of having a good knowledge of lithium (p < 0.001) and complete satisfaction with education on lithium (p < 0.001). One of the main factors to prefer valproate was the concern about long-term side effects of lithium (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Type of education, source of information, clinical experience and safety concerns influence the choice of lithium versus valproate in the long-term treatment of BD. Present findings may guide educational training of ECPs.KEY POINTSLithium has been less prescribed in the last years for long-term treatment of Bipolar Disorder.Educational and clinical factors seem to influence the attitude to prescribe lithium.Only half of the Italian early career psychiatrists declare to have at least an adequate knowledge of lithium.Residency program in psychiatry should consider the implementation of education on lithium.

Altered Risk-Taking Behavior in Early-Stage Bipolar Disorder With a History of Psychosis

Altered risk-taking propensity is an important determinant of functional impairment in bipolar disorder. However, prior studies primarily assessed patients with chronic illness, and risk-taking has not been evaluated in the early illness course. This study investigated risk-taking behavior in 39 euthymic early-stage bipolar disorder patients aged 16-40 years who were treated within 3 years from their first-episode mania with psychotic features and 36 demographically-matched healthy controls using the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART), a well-validated risk-taking performance-based paradigm requiring participants to make responses for cumulative gain at increasing risk of loss. Relationships of risk-taking indices with symptoms, self-reported impulsivity, cognitive functions, and treatment characteristics were also assessed. Our results showed that patients exhibited significantly lower adjusted scores (i.e., average balloon pumps in unexploded trials) (p = 0.001), lower explosion rate (p = 0.007) and lower cumulative scores (p = 0.003) than controls on BART, indicating their suboptimal risk-taking performance with increased propensity for risk aversion. Risk-taking indices were not correlated with any symptom dimensions, self-reported impulsivity, cognitive functions or antipsychotic dose. No significant difference was observed between patients with and without antipsychotic medications on self-reported impulsivity or any of the BART performance indices. This is the first study to examine risk-taking behavior in early-stage bipolar disorder with history of psychosis and indicates that patients displayed altered risk-taking with increased risk aversion compared with controls. Further research is needed to clarify longitudinal trajectory of risk-taking propensity and its relationships with psychosis and functional outcome in the early stage of bipolar disorder.

The network and dimensionality structure of affective psychoses: an exploratory graph analysis approach

BACKGROUND

The dimensional symptom structure of classes of affective psychoses, and more specifically the relationships between affective and mood symptoms, has been poorly researched. Here, we examined these questions from a network analysis perspective.

METHODS

Using Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA) and network centrality parameters, we examined the dimensionality and network structure of 28 mood and psychotic symptoms in subjects diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder (n=124), psychotic bipolar disorder (n=345) or psychotic depression (n=245), such as in the global sample of affective psychoses.

RESULTS

EGA identified four dimensions in subjects with schizoaffective or bipolar disorders (depression, mania, positive and negative) and three dimensions in subjects with psychotic depression (depression, psychosis and activation). The item composition of dimensions and the most central symptoms varied substantially across diagnoses. The most central (i.e., interconnected) symptoms in schizoaffective disorder, psychotic bipolar disorder and psychotic depression were hallucinations, delusions and depressive mood, respectively. Classes of affective psychoses significantly differed in terms of network structure but not in network global strength.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional nature of this study precludes conclusions about the causal dynamics between affective and psychotic symptoms.

CONCLUSION

EGA is a powerful tool for examining the dimensionality and network structure of symptoms in affective psychoses showing that both the interconnectivity pattern between affective and psychotic symptoms and the most central symptoms vary across classes of affective psychoses. The findings outline the value of specific diagnoses in explaining the relationships between mood and affective symptoms.

Features Associated With Depressive Predominant Polarity and Early Illness Onset in Patients With Bipolar Disorder

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of three possible diagnostic specifiers, namely predominant polarity (PP) throughout illness, polarity of the first episode and early age at onset, in a sample of bipolar disorder (BD) patients and their association with important socio-demographic, clinical and course-of-illness variables. Methods: A retrospective and naturalistic study on 108 BD outpatients, who were classified according to the PP, polarity of the first episode and early age at onset (≤ 20 years) [vs. late (>20 years)] and were characterized by their demographics, clinical data, functionality and social support, among others features. After bivariate analyses, those variables showing certain association (P value < 0.25) with the three dependent variables were entered in logistic regression backward selection procedures to identify the variables independently associated with the PP, polarity of the first episode and early age at onset. Results: The sample consisted of 75 women ad 33 men, 74% with type I BD and 26% with type II. Around 70% had depressive PP, onset with a depressive episode and onset after age 20. Depressive PP was independently associated with depressive onset, higher score on the CGI severity scale and work disability. Onset with depressive episode was associated with type II BD, longer diagnostic delay and higher score on family disability. Early age at onset (≤ 20 years) was associate with younger age, longer diagnostic delay, presence of ever psychotic symptoms, current use of antipsychotic drugs and higher social support score. Conclusions: The results of this study show that BD patients with depressive PP, onset with depression and early age at onset may represent greater severity, because they are frequently associated with variables that worsen the prognosis. Our findings match up with the conclusions of two systematic reviews and we also include a disability factor (at family and work) that has not been previously reported. This work contributes to the use of polarity and age at onset in BD patients, as it can become a useful instrument in the prognostic and therapeutic applications.

Correlates of current rapid-cycling bipolar disorder: Results from the Italian multicentric RENDiBi study

BACKGROUND

we aimed to compare socio-demographic and clinical differences between patients with versus without current RC in order to detect clinical factors that may favor early diagnosis and personalized treatment.

METHODS

A total of 1675 patients (males: n = 714 and females: n = 961; bipolar 1: n = 1042 and bipolar 2: n = 633) from different psychiatric clinics were grouped and compared according to the current presence of RC in terms of socio-demographic and clinical variables. Chi-squared tests for qualitative variables and Student's t tests for quantitative variables were executed for group comparison, and multivariable logistic regressions were performed, considering the current presence of RC as dependent variable, and socio-demographic/clinical factors as independent variables.

RESULTS

Female gender (male versus female: OR = 0.64, p = 0.04), unidentifiable prevalent polarity (versus depressive polarity: OR = 1.76, p = 0.02; versus manic polarity: OR: 2.86, p < 0.01) and hospitalization in the last year (no versus yes: OR = 0.63, p = 0.02) were found to be associated with RC in the final multivariable regression analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

RC in BD seems to be more prevalent in female gender and associated with some unfavorable clinical features, such as an increased risk of hospitalization. These aspects should be taken into account in the management and monitoring of RC versus non-RC patients.