Bipolar disorders: a review

Bipolar disorders are common, disabling, recurrent mental health conditions of variable severity. Onset is often in late childhood or early adolescence. Patients with bipolar disorders have higher rates of other mental health disorders and general medical conditions. Early recognition and treatment of bipolar disorders improve outcomes. Treatment of mood episodes depends on the presenting phase of illness: mania, hypomania, mixed state, depression, or maintenance. Psychotherapy and mood stabilizers, such as lithium, anticonvulsants, and antipsychotics, are first-line treatments that should be continued indefinitely because of the risk of relapse. Monotherapy with antidepressants is contraindicated in mixed states, manic episodes, and bipolar I disorder. Maintenance therapy for patients involves screening for suicidal ideation and substance abuse, evaluating adherence to treatment, and recognizing metabolic complications of pharmacotherapy. Active management of body weight reduces complications and improves lipid control. Patients and their support systems should be educated about mood relapse, suicidal ideation, and the effectiveness of early intervention to reduce complications.     

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) is a common, recurrent, and severe psychiatric disorder that affects 1% to 3% of the US population. The illness is characterized by episodes of mania, depression, or mixed states (simultaneously occurring manic and depressive symptoms). Bipolar disorder frequently goes unrecognized and untreated for many years without clinical vigilance. New screening tools have been developed to assist physicians in making the diagnosis. Fortunately, several medications are now available to treat the acute mood episodes of bipolar disorder and to prevent further episodes with maintenance treatment.     

Bipolar spectrum disorder: differential diagnosis and treatment

Bipolar disorder commonly presents as a recurrent mood disorder characterized by frequent depressive episodes. Although manic or hypomanic phases are required for the diagnosis to be made based on current diagnostic criteria, a wider expression of mood instability and other historical features or family history may suggest the presence of a bipolar spectrum illness. This article covers the diagnostic issues related to bipolar disorder and the spectrum concept of the illness. A new definition of bipolar spectrum disorder is suggested, and treatment principles and options are discussed. Primary care providers often encounter patients who have depression and mood problems, placing them in a key position for the diagnosis and treatment of this psychiatric illness.     

The many faces of bipolar disorder. How to tell them apart

Bipolar disorder is a chronic disease characterized by depressive, manic or hypomanic, and mixed episodes. Bipolar disorder may be confused with unipolar depression, because patients with bipolar disorder are usually symptomatic with depression rather than mania. Bipolar disorder may also be misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, since both disorders can present with psychotic symptoms. For children, the principal differential diagnostic consideration is ADHD. Making the correct diagnosis has important prognostic and treatment implications. Comorbidities with personality disorders, substance and alcohol abuse or dependence, and anxiety disorders complicate assessment, treatment, and recovery. Effective pharmacotherapy and maintenance monitoring are critical in order to minimize the risk of relapse and associated disability, morbidity, and mortality.     

Management of Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms in a Patient Diagnosed With Bipolar 1 Disorder and a History of Migraines

Bipolar disorder and obsessive compulsive disorders (OCDs) may exist together. If the patient also experiences migraines, medication management may be complicated. Lithium and aripiprazole are prescribed as combination therapy to manage both bipolar disorder and OCD. Lamotrigine can be added for depressive symptoms and migraine prophylaxis; however, lamotrigine may exacerbate OCD symptoms. For proper medication management, advanced practice nurses will be asked to be a collaborating partner in the care of patients with both medical and psychiatric disorders.     

Gabapentin treatment for bipolar disorders.

OJBECTIVE: To review the effectiveness data on the use of gabapentin in bipolar disorders. DATA SOURCES: Clinical literature was accessed through MEDLINE (January 1985-November 2000). Key search terms included gabapentin, mood stabilizer, and bipolar disorder. DATA SYNTHESIS: Bipolar disorder is a complex condition that can be difficult to treat effectively. Mood stabilizers are increasingly being used to manage bipolar disorder. Studies that used gabapentin in bipolar disorders are evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: From the data presented, gabapentin cannot be recommended for treatment of bipolar disorder. Further studies are required to determine whether gabapentin has any role in the management of bipolar disorder.     

Measurable outcomes in psychiatric disorders: remission as a marker of wellness

BACKGROUND: Mental disorders are highly prevalent, heterogeneous, and of multifactorial etiology. Collectively, they are associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and economic cost. Wellness is the optimal outcome in the management of chronic medical and psychiatric disorders. OBJECTIVES: This review provides a synopsis of definitions and operational criteria for remission in major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The overall goals were to propose a treatment framework that gives primacy to therapeutic outcomes and to provide a rationale for psychiatry to quantify and measure patient outcome. METHODS: Articles proposing definitions for remission were identified using a MEDLINE search (1966-April 2005) of the English-language literature (key terms: remission, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and schizophrenia). RESULTS: Operationalizing and quantifying critical end points in psychiatric disorders may help sharpen the focus of therapeutic activity and benefit patient outcome. In the absence of a validated biomarker of psychiatric illness activity, symptomatic remission and functional restoration are the only available markers of wellness in psychiatry. There is an emerging consensus regarding a definition for remission in major depressive disorder; several working definitions for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders have been proposed. Developments in adult mood disorders-albeit incomplete-have been informative; managing psychiatric disorders that first appear in childhood (eg, ADHD) may also benefit by objectifying patient outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Research is needed to determine the impact of applying a remission-focused model of illness management--emphasizing quantifiable, objective, and measurable end points--on overall patient outcomes.     

The prevalence and impact of migraine headache in bipolar disorder: results from the Canadian Community Health Survey

OBJECTIVE: To report on the prevalence of comorbid migraine in bipolar disorder and the implications for bipolar age of onset, psychiatric comorbidity, illness course, functional outcome, and medical service utilization. BACKGROUND: Migraine comorbidity is differentially reported in bipolar versus unipolar depressed clinical samples. The bipolar disorder-migraine association and its consequences have been infrequently reported in epidemiological studies. METHODS: Data for this analysis were derived from respondents (n = 36 984) to the Canadian Community Health Survey - Mental Health and Well-Being (CCHS). Respondents reporting a lifetime WHO-CIDI-defined manic episode and physician-diagnosed migraine (lifetime) were compared to respondents without migraine on sociodemography, course of illness, and medical service utilization indices. RESULTS: An estimated 2.4% of the sample met criteria for bipolar disorder. Persons with bipolar disorder had a relatively higher prevalence of migraine versus the general population (24.8% vs. 10.3%; P < .05). The sex-specific prevalence of comorbid migraine in bipolar disorder was 14.9% for males and 34.7% for females. Bipolar males with comorbid migraine were more likely to live in a low income household (P < .05); receive welfare and social assistance (P < .05); report an earlier age of onset of bipolar disorder (P < .05); and have a higher lifetime prevalence of comorbid anxiety disorders (P < .05). Bipolar males with comorbid migraine were also more likely to utilize primary (P < .05) and mental health care services (P < .05) . Bipolar females with comorbid migraine had more comorbid medical disorders (P < .05) and were more likely to require help with personal or instrumental activities of daily living when compared to bipolar females without migraine. CONCLUSION: Bipolar disorder with comorbid migraine is prevalent and associated with greater dysfunction and medical service utilization, notable in males. Opportunistic screening and surveillance for bipolar and comorbid migraine is warranted.     

Use of Electroconvulsive Therapy With Children: An Overview and Case Report

TOPIC. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has become more common in the treatment ofadults with refractory mood disorders and psychotic disorders but it remains one of the least common therapies for mental illness in children. In a small number of child psychiaty cases, symptoms are severe and unresponsive to standard pharmacological and other therapies. With these patients, ECT might be helpful.
PURPOSE. This article provides an overview of ECT, indications for its use and a case report that illustrates the successful use of ECT with an 8-year-old girl with psychotic depression. Implications for multidisciplinary care are discussed, including preparation of the patient and family, assessment of response to ECT, management of adverse effects, preparation for discharge and discharge care.
SOURCES. Existing literature on the use of ECT in adults, adolescents, and children and the clinical experience of providing care to an 8-year-old patient on an acute care inpatient unit.
CONCLUSIONS. Nurses and other healthcare personnel should consider ECT in refractory cases of major depressive disorder, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, and other psychotic disorders.     

Bipolar disorder: an uncommon illness? Recognizing and caring for the elderly person with bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder (BPD), an affective mood disorder formerly called manic-depressive illness, is a diagnosis rarely seen in elders. It has components of major depression and sometimes mania or hypomania. Many elders previously diagnosed with schizophrenia in their past are now found to have the elements of BPD. The psychiatric community has become aware that bipolar disorder in elders is much more common than previously thought, and progress is being made in appropriate diagnosis and treatment of this condition.     

The role of quetiapine extended release in the treatment of bipolar depression

Bipolar disorder is a common, recurrent, and chronic condition associated with significant morbidity and reduced longevity mainly due to the depressive pole of the illness. Despite the great need for effective therapies, relatively few randomized controlled trials have been conducted and, to date, only two agents have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treatment of bipolar depression (olanzapine/fluoxetine combination and quetiapine). Quetiapine is the first approved monotherapy for treatment of bipolar depression, and an extended-release (XR) form of quetiapine is now available. This once-daily, bioequivalent formulation represents a useful alternative for patients who cannot tolerate twice-daily, immediate-release (IR) quetiapine. Here, we summarize the evidence supporting the efficacy of quetiapine for treatment of bipolar depression, and also review the similarities and differences between the two formulations. Additional research on longer-term use of quetiapine XR is needed to establish the durability of therapeutic effects and tolerability over months or years of therapy, both alone and in combination with other mood stabilizers. Studies on the potential utility of lower doses of quetiapine XR and head-to-head studies to evaluate relative efficacy and cost-effectiveness also are needed.     

Prevalence, clinical correlates, and treatment of migraine in bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence, clinical correlates, and treatment of migraine in bipolar disorder. BACKGROUND: The relationship between migraine and mood disorders has been of long-standing interest to researchers and clinicians. Although a strong association has been demonstrated consistently for migraine and major depression, there has been less systematic research on the links between migraine and bipolar disorder. METHODS: A migraine questionnaire (based on International Headache Society criteria) was administered to 108 outpatients with bipolar disorder. Information on the clinical course of bipolar illness was also collected. RESULTS: The overall lifetime prevalence of migraine was 39.8% (43.8% among women and 31.4% among men). In the subgroup of patients with bipolar II disorder, the lifetime prevalence of migraine was 64.7%. The bipolar with migraine group was younger, tended to be more educated, was more likely to be employed or studying, and had fewer psychiatric hospitalizations. Their initial presentation for psychiatric treatment was more often for symptoms of depression, rather than hypomania or mania. They were more likely to have a family history of migraine and psychiatric disorders, and a greater number of affected relatives. They were less likely to use mood stabilizers, and more likely to use atypical antidepressants. Migraine was assessed by a neurologist in only 16% of affected patients. The prevalence of the use of specific antimigraine medications (triptans) was 27.9%. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the higher prevalence of migraine among those with bipolar disorder compared to the general population. Migraine in patients with bipolar disorder is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Bipolar disorder with migraine is associated with differences in the clinical course of bipolar disorder, and may represent a subtype of bipolar disorder.     

The effects of an ambulatory collaborative practice model on process and outcome of care for bipolar disorder

Background: Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental illness that affects 1% of the population. Persons with bipolar disorder have substantial rehabilitative potential, although research has shown that such mood disorders are undertreated.Objectives: The objective was to determine the effect of a high-intensity collaborative practice ambulatory program on process and outcome of care: specifically, patient satisfaction, intensity of medication treatment, and the amount and patterns of service use.Study Design: The Bipolar Disorders Program was structured for easy patient access by assigning clinical nurse specialists as primary caregivers to each patient supported by psychiatrist backup. The first 76 patients enrolled in the Bipolar Disorders Program who completed 6 months served as the sample. A quasiexperimental study was used. A mirror image design was used where relevant measurements before admission to the Bipolar Disorders Program were compared with data during the first 6 months of enrollment.Results: Patients showed significant increases in satisfaction with care, increases in intensity of medication treatment, and trends toward decreases in neuroleptic exposure. Annualized service use data revealed significant decreases in emergency department use, psychiatric triage use, and psychiatric hospitalization days.Conclusions: These data indicated that high-intensity ambulatory treatment for bipolar disorder may have increased both treatment intensity and patient satisfaction and decreased use of costly mental health services.     

Stigma experiences in bipolar patients: the impact upon functioning

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of self-rated stigma and functioning in patients with bipolar disorder in South Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study. Sixty participants with bipolar disorder were recruited from an outpatient Bipolar Disorder Program. Experiences with and impact of perceived stigma were evaluated using the Inventory of Stigmatizing Experiences. Functional impairment was assessed with the Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST). Higher scores of self-perceived stigma were correlated with higher FAST scores, indicating more disability. After linear correlation analysis, current depressive symptoms, age at onset of treatment, age at diagnosis and functioning were correlated with self-perceived stigma. The study demonstrated a correlation between stigma and poor functioning in bipolar disorder. Perceived stigma is really important to individuals with bipolar disorder, both to how they experience their illness and to its results on functioning. Potential consequences of such results for mental health care professionals are discussed. Differential clinical features, sociocultural factors and the sample size limit the generalization of the present findings.     

Das Fibromyalgiesyndrom — eine somatoforme (Schmerz)störung?

The hypothesis that fibromyalgia (FM) should be classified as a somatoform disorder was assessed by reviewing current clinical studies. According to the ICD-10, somatic illness beliefs of the patient, high health care utilization, and frustrating patient-doctor relationships are diagnostic criteria of somatoform disorders. For the diagnosis of a somatoform pain disorder, a temporal association between the manifestation of pain and emotional or psychosocial conflicts and the exclusion of a depressive disorder are additionally required. Empirical studies demonstrate a higher lifetime and current prevalence of psychiatric disorders, childhood adversities, life events, and daily hassles and a higher health care utilization of FM patients. Studies also reveal that most patients believe that both somatic and psychosocial factors have caused their disorder. The patient-doctor relationship is characterized to be disappointing for both. Yet in all studies there were patients who did not fulfill the ICD-10 criteria of a somatoform (pain) disorder. A biopsychosocial model of FM differentiating between biological as well as psychosocial predisposing, triggering, and perpetuating factors in the pathogenesis of FM is presented as an alternative model. Hopefully the biopsychosocial model and the distinction of subgroups will enable more differentiated and tailored psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatment strategies.     

The prevalence of migraine in patients with bipolar and unipolar affective disorders

There is a well-known association between migraine and affective disorders, but the information is sparse concerning the prevalence of migraine in subgroups of the affective disorders. The present study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of migraine in unipolar depressive, bipolar I and bipolar II disorders. Patients with major affective disorders (n = 62), consecutively admitted to an open psychiatric ward, were examined with a semi-structured interview based on DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, combined with separate criteria for affective temperaments. Diagnosis of unipolar and bipolar I disorders followed the DSM-IV criteria, while bipolar II disorder encompassed patients with either discrete hypomanic episodes or a cyclothymic temperament. Migraine was diagnosed according to IHS-criteria. Symptoms of migraine were found to be common in these patients, both in those with unipolar depression (46% prevalence of migraine) and in those with bipolar disorders (44% prevalence). Among the bipolar patients there was, however, a striking difference between the two diagnostic subgroups, with a prevalence of 77% in the bipolar II group compared with 14% in the bipolar I group (P = 0.001). These results support the contention that bipolar I and II are biologically separate disorders and point to the possibility of using the association of bipolar II disorder with migraine to study both the pathophysiology and the genetics of this affective disorder.     

Identifying patients at risk of perinatal mood disorders

Perinatal mental illness influences obstetric outcomes, mother-baby interactions and longer term emotional and cognitive development of the child. Psychiatric disorders have consistently been found to be one of the leading causes of maternal deaths, often through suicide. Postnatal depression and puerperal psychosis are two disorders most commonly associated with the perinatal period. The most efficient strategy to identify patients at risk relies on focussing on clinically vulnerable subgroups: enquiries about depressive symptoms should be made at the usual screening visits. Attention should be paid to any sign of poor self-care, avoidance of eye contact, overactivity or underactivity, or abnormalities in the rate of speech. Particular care should be taken to ask about suicidal ideation and thoughts of harming others, including the baby. One of the most important risk factors is a previous history of depression. The degree of risk is directly correlated with severity of past episodes. Both antenatal and postnatal depression are being increasingly recognised in men. Puerperal psychosis is rare (1 to 2 per 1,000). Sixty per cent of women with puerperal psychosis already have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder. Women with a personal history of postpartum psychosis or bipolar affective disorder should be considered as high risk for postpartum psychosis. All pregnant women who are identified as being at high risk should have a shared care plan for their late pregnancy and early postnatal psychiatric management. Women with current mood disorder of mild or moderate severity who have a first-degree relative with a history of bipolar disorder or postpartum psychosis should be referred for psychiatric assessment.     

Reward and Punishment Sensitivity and Emotion Regulation Processes Differentiate Bipolar and Unipolar Depression

Bipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) cannot be reliably differentiated by depression symptom expression alone, suggesting a need to identify processes that may more effectively differentiate the two disorders. To explore this question, currently depressed adults with BD (n?=?30) and MDD (n?=?30), and healthy control participants with no history of psychiatric illness (CTL; n?=?30), completed self-report measures of reward and punishment sensitivity (i.e., behavioral activation and inhibition) and emotion regulation processes (i.e., rumination and avoidance). Results revealed that constructs putatively linked to depression across the mood disorders (i.e., behavioral inhibition, negative rumination, dampening of positive affect, behavioral and experiential avoidance) were significantly higher in both mood disorder groups compared to CTLs. Yet there was also some specificity between mood disorder groups, such that the BD group reported significantly greater reward responsiveness and positive rumination, in addition to greater behavioral inhibition and avoidance, compared to the MDD group. These data suggest that patterns of affective responding previously linked to underlying risk for mania in BD may remain evident during a major depressive episode. Further, current models of reward sensitivity in BD may benefit from the inclusion of punishment sensitivity and behavioral avoidance, particularly with respect to bipolar depression.     

Epidemiology and comorbidity of depressive disorders

Recent epidemiological surveys in general populations of different countries of the world found lifetime prevalence rates of major depressions between 3.3% and 17%. For dysthymia (depressed mood over a period of at least two years with at least two concomitant depressive symptoms) the prevalence rate was found to be between 2% and 7%. The prevalence rates of major depressions and dysthymia are usually higher for females than for males. Bipolar disorders can be observed in about 1% of a general population over lifetime, and they seem to be somewhat more common among males than females. Divorced and separated persons have a higher risk of suffering from major depressions than married persons. Major depressions are thought to be more common among members of the lowest social class than among people belonging to the upper classes. Major depressions usually start between the age of 25 and 30 years, and the age of onset of bipolar disorders is between the age of 18 and 30 years. For western industrial nations a secular trend towards an increase in the prevalence of major depressions may be presumed. However, such a secular trend has not yet been confirmed, owing to biases associated with methodological problems. A notable comorbidity of major depressions can be observed with all anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, disorders of impulse control, abuse and dependence of alcohol and of other legal and illegal drugs, pathological gambling, migraine, fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome. This observation has led to the concept of an "affective spectrum". This phenomenon has to be kept in mind during the diagnostic process and treatment.