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227 Questions

According to Kraepelin, manic depressive psychosis is characterized by a long-term clinical course with a tendency to recurrence of mood disturbance.

True

Unipolar depression and bipolar disorder have distinct epidemiological differences with no overlap.

False

The division into unipolar and bipolar cases is a useless classification.

False

Mania is characterized by a decrease in activity and self-important ideas.

False

Leonhard et al. pointed out that unipolar depression tends to show a distinct familial clustering.

False

Bipolar disorder is characterized by at least one episode of depression or hypomania.

False

Mood elevation in mania is characterized by a gloomy and pessimistic attitude.

False

The clinical features of mania include elevation of mood, decreased activity, and self-important ideas.

False

Kraepelin's concept of manic depressive psychosis is still widely used today.

False

Patients with mania often experience a regular 'diurnal' rhythm of mood variation during the day.

False

Manic patients tend to be underactive and sluggish in their daily activities.

False

In patients with mania, appetite is typically decreased, and food is eaten slowly and carefully.

False

The speech of manic patients is often slow and hesitant, with long pauses between sentences.

False

Manic patients often have a flight of ideas that is difficult to follow, even when reviewed.

False

Delusions of persecution and grandiose delusions are common features of schizophrenia, but not typically seen in mania.

False

Schneiderian first-rank symptoms are typically present in the majority of manic patients.

False

Insight is usually preserved in manic patients, and they are aware of their need for treatment.

False

Hallucinations are rare in mania and are typically inconsistent with the mood.

False

Manic stupor is a condition characterized by rapid speech and rapid movements.

False

Patients with manic stupor are usually accessible and answer questions readily.

False

The criteria for manic episode in ICD-10 and DSM-5 are vastly different.

False

Hypomania is a state of elevated mood that is more severe than mania.

False

Psychotic features are always present in hypomanic episodes.

False

Mixed mood states are characterized by alternating episodes of depression and mania that occur over a long period of time.

False

Rapid cycling disorders are characterized by intervals of years between episodes.

False

Patients with manic stupor often neglect their personal hygiene and eating habits.

True

The term 'folie circulaire' was coined by Wilhelm Griesinger to describe rapid cycling disorders.

False

The lifetime risk of rapid cycling in bipolar populations is probably in the range 30–40%.

False

Cyclothymia is a severe variant of bipolar disorder.

False

All patients with bipolar disorder initially present with an episode of mania.

False

Psychotic features are less common in patients with bipolar disorder than in those with unipolar depression.

False

The rates of bipolar disorder are higher in white populations than in minority groups within a country.

False

In DSM-5, at least two episodes of mood disturbance are needed for the diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

False

Bipolar II disorder is characterized by the presence of at least one episode of mania and one episode of major depression.

False

Rapid cycling is a permanent phenomenon in bipolar disorder.

False

Concomitant hyperthyroidism is common in rapid cycling disorder.

False

Patients with definite depressive episodes may have features of bipolarity but meet the full DSM-5 criteria for mania or hypomania.

False

The diagnosis of ‘bipolar and related disorder’ can be made for patients who meet the full DSM-5 criteria for mania or hypomania.

False

The term bipolar spectrum is used exclusively in research settings.

False

The pharmacological treatment of bipolar depression is the same as that for patients with recurrent unipolar depression.

False

Research has shown that depressed patients in the ‘bipolar spectrum’ do better when treated as having bipolar depression rather than unipolar depression.

False

The DSM-5 criteria for mania or hypomania require elevations of mood that last for at least 7 days.

False

The diagnosis of bipolar and related disorder requires specifying the reasons why the full criteria for mania or hypomania fail to be met.

False

The distinction between unipolar and bipolar depression has no implications for treatment.

False

Goodwin et al. (2016) found that depressed patients in the ‘bipolar spectrum’ do better when treated as having bipolar depression.

False

Auditory hallucinations are never present in manic disorders.

False

A patient with a brain tumour can never be diagnosed with manic disorder.

False

Delusions of reference are characteristic of manic disorders but not of schizophrenia.

False

In older patients, a diagnosis of manic disorder should be made without considering organic brain disease.

False

The term schizoaffective is used when there is a clear distinction between manic and schizophrenic features.

False

A patient with a history of HIV infection can never be diagnosed with manic disorder.

False

In patients with manic disorder, extreme social disinhibition is always a sign of schizophrenia.

False

A patient with no past history of affective disorder cannot be diagnosed with manic disorder.

False

The distinction between mania and excited behaviour caused by drug misuse can be made based on the patient's symptoms alone.

False

Patients with bipolar II disorder often seek treatment for hypomanic episodes.

False

In patients with manic disorder, a careful personal and family psychiatric history is never helpful in diagnosis.

False

The prevalence of bipolar disorder is higher in men than in women.

False

First-degree relatives of patients with bipolar disorder have a decreased risk of recurrent unipolar depression.

False

The aetiology of bipolar disorder is mainly environmental.

False

Bipolar disorder is highly comorbid with anxiety disorders, but not with substance misuse.

False

Rapid cycling bipolar disorder is characterized by shifts in mood over years and months.

False

The diagnosis of bipolar disorder can be made solely based on the presence of symptoms of mania or hypomania in the past history.

False

The lifetime risk for bipolar disorder is in the range 10–20%.

False

The concordance rate for mood disorder in the monozygotic co-twin of a proband with bipolar disorder is around 40%.

False

The genetic liability to bipolar disorder results largely from the combined action of a single gene of large effect.

False

Molecular linkage studies of mood disorders have been particularly revealing and have led to the identification of several genes with large effects.

False

About 5 replicated loci have been identified through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in large numbers of bipolar patients.

False

The inherited risk of bipolar disorder is conferred by only a few genes of large effect.

False

A number of genes putatively involved in bipolar disorder impact on the activity of voltage-gated potassium channels.

False

Molecular genetic studies suggest a greater overlap in risk alleles between bipolar disorder and unipolar depression than for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

False

The concordance rates for bipolar disorder in monozygotic twins suggest that genetic factors are the only contributing factors to the pathophysiology of bipolar illness.

False

Most of the environmental factors identified thus far seem specific for bipolar disorder and do not confer risk of psychiatric disorder more generally.

False

Patients with bipolar disorder report similar rates of childhood sexual abuse as healthy controls.

False

Life events can trigger episodes of depression but not mania in bipolar patients.

False

Drugs that block dopamine receptors are commonly employed in the acute treatment of depression.

False

Studies of dopamine metabolism and function have provided strong direct evidence for overactivity of dopamine pathways in patients with manic illness.

False

Glutamate levels are typically decreased in bipolar patients.

False

Administration of exogenous corticosteroids in the treatment of general medical conditions can never give rise to an acute manic illness.

False

Cortisol hypersecretion is typically reported in patients with unipolar depression but not in patients with bipolar disorder.

False

Treatment with glucocorticoid antagonists has no beneficial effects on cognition in bipolar disorder.

False

Negative life events can only trigger episodes of depression, but not mania, in bipolar patients.

False

Lithium treatment has been shown to prevent postpartum psychosis in mothers.

False

Bipolar patients not taking lithium have been found to have higher hippocampal volumes compared to those with recurrent depression.

False

Functional imaging studies have shown that bipolar patients have a reduced range of neural dysregulation compared to unipolar depression.

False

Cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder are only present during acute illness episodes.

False

The predisposition to develop bipolar disorder has a minor genetic contribution.

False

Adverse early experiences, such as abuse, have no effect on the development of bipolar disorder.

False

Neuropathological changes in bipolar disorder are limited to the prefrontal cortex.

False

Euthymic bipolar patients have been found to have normal neural responses to positive emotional stimuli.

False

The lifetime risk for bipolar disorder is in the range of 1–5%.

False

Valproate has a later onset of activity compared to other mood stabilizers.

False

Benzodiazepines are primarily used as a sole therapy in the treatment of mania.

False

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been shown to be ineffective in treating mixed affective states.

False

The average length of a manic episode is approximately 3 months.

False

Patients with bipolar disorder typically respond to pharmacological treatment for depression in the same way as patients with unipolar depression.

False

Unilateral and bilateral ECT have been shown to have significantly different efficacy rates in treating mania.

False

Valproate has been shown to be less effective than lithium in treating patients with rapid cycling.

False

Bipolar disorder typically begins as mania, with the first depressive episode manifesting about 5 years later.

False

Cardiovascular disease is a minor cause of increased mortality in bipolar patients.

False

The interval between episodes of major mood disturbance in bipolar patients becomes progressively longer with both age and the number of episodes.

False

Almost all patients with bipolar disorder experience mood-related symptomatology for more than half of the time.

False

Lithium is more effective than antipsychotic medication in the acute treatment of mania.

False

More than 50% of bipolar patients achieve a period of 5 years of clinical stability with good social and occupational performance.

False

Typical antipsychotic drugs have no limitations in the treatment of mania.

False

The average length of a manic episode is about 1 year.

False

Carbamazepine is not effective in the acute treatment of mania.

False

Bipolar disorder usually begins at around 25 years of age.

False

About 15% of men and 10% of women hospitalized for bipolar illness died by suicide over a 40-year follow-up.

False

The reduction in life expectancy in bipolar disorder is mainly due to suicide and accidents.

False

Late-onset bipolar disorder is a common phenomenon.

False

Before the advent of modern drug treatment, the mortality of mania in the hospital setting was less than 10%.

False

The combination of lithium and valproate was associated with the highest relapse rate in the BALANCE study.

False

Lamotrigine is licensed for the treatment of mood disorder in the UK.

False

Carbamazepine is more effective than lithium in 'classical' bipolar illness.

False

Typical antipsychotic drugs are effective in protecting against depression in bipolar patients.

False

The use of lithium in patients with recurrent mood disorders is associated with an increased risk of suicidal behavior.

False

Valproate is less effective than lithium in preventing manic relapse.

False

Lamotrigine has a clearer prophylactic effect against mania than depression in patients with bipolar illness.

False

There is evidence from randomized studies for the efficacy of olanzapine and quetiapine in the prevention of depression but not mania.

False

Cognitive behaviour therapy has been found to be highly effective in preventing relapse in bipolar disorder.

False

Family-focused therapy has been found to be effective in reducing hospitalizations and symptomatology in bipolar patients.

True

Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy is based on interpersonal therapy and focuses on helping patients to maintain regular sleep-activity schedules.

True

Group psychoeducation has been shown to reduce relapse rates by over 50% in a 5-year follow-up period.

True

Psychotherapy has been extensively studied in bipolar patients and has been found to be highly effective in preventing relapse.

False

The design of randomized studies in bipolar disorder typically involves continuing antipsychotic treatment in patients who have not responded to short-term, open-label treatment.

False

Cognitive behavioural techniques may be valuable in helping patients to accept their illness and the need for medical treatment.

True

Family-based therapy aims to improve relationships and support for the patient within the family by utilizing psychoeducation and training in communication skills.

True

Structured psychotherapies in bipolar disorder have usually been directed to patients during acute episodes of mood disturbance.

False

Antidepressant treatment has been shown to be highly effective in bipolar depression, with a low risk of inducing mania.

False

Tricyclic antidepressants are thought to have a low risk of inducing mania in bipolar depressed patients.

False

Lithium has been shown to be highly effective in the acute treatment of bipolar depression.

False

Quetiapine has been shown to be highly effective in the treatment of bipolar depression, both as a monotherapy and in combination with fluoxetine.

True

Lamotrigine has been shown to be ineffective in the treatment of bipolar depression.

False

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is not effective in the treatment of resistant depression in bipolar patients.

False

Folic acid has been shown to enhance the therapeutic effect of lamotrigine in the treatment of bipolar depression.

False

Diagnosis of mania depends on a detailed physical examination of the patient.

False

Mildly disinhibited behavior can result from frontal lobe lesions and not from mania.

False

A urine screen for illegal substances is not necessary in the assessment of mania.

False

Manic patients are always able to recognize the extent of their abnormal behavior.

False

The severity of mania can be judged solely on the basis of the patient's self-report.

False

Life events never provoke the onset of manic illness.

False

Manic episodes can follow treatment with drugs, especially steroids or antidepressants.

True

A doctor's assessment of a patient with mania is always accurate and can never be misleading.

False

The assessment of mania involves only deciding on the diagnosis and assessing the severity of the disorder.

False

Differential diagnosis is not important in the assessment of mania.

False

Concomitant treatment with antipsychotic drugs is not needed when treating manic episodes

False

ECT is a commonly used treatment for mania and has a strong evidence base for its effectiveness

False

A sustained change to a depressive syndrome often requires no additional treatment

False

Lithium should be withdrawn quickly to prevent rebound mania

False

Antidepressant drugs are a first-line choice for the treatment of bipolar depression

False

Lamotrigine is ineffective in the treatment of bipolar depression and can induce mania

False

Bipolar depression is a rare phenomenon in bipolar illness

False

ECT may be helpful for mixed affective states in which depressive symptoms are not prominent

False

A careful watch should not be kept for symptoms of depressive disorder during treatment

False

Continuation treatment for mania is not necessary, and treatment can be withdrawn immediately after the patient has been asymptomatic

False

In all but the most severe cases, hospital admission is not advisable for patients with mania.

False

Supportive, reality-orientated psychotherapy is not an important element of treatment for manic patients.

False

Mood stabilizers are generally used as primary agents in the management of acute mania in the UK.

False

Lithium is typically used for mania with prominent dysphoric or mixed states.

False

Benzodiazepines are not used as an adjunct to reduce overactivity and permit sleep in manic patients.

False

If a patient presents with a manic episode and is already taking a mood stabilizer, the first step is to switch to a different mood stabilizer.

False

The therapeutic alliance with the manic patient is not an important goal of treatment.

False

Nursing staff do not play a key role in the management of manic patients in hospital.

False

Educational sessions are not important when the patient is more settled.

False

The patient's responsibilities with regard to the care of dependent children or at work are not considered in the management of mania.

False

Valproate is a safe option for women of childbearing age without any concerns.

False

Lamotrigine dosing does not need to be cautious when initiated in a patient taking valproate.

False

ECT is not effective in treating severe depressive symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder.

False

Structured psychotherapies have been widely studied in acute bipolar depression.

False

Long-term maintenance treatment with a mood stabilizer or an atypical antipsychotic is not necessary for patients who have had two or more episodes of illness in less than 5 years.

False

Conventional antidepressants are never justified in short-term treatment of bipolar disorder.

False

The same cautions around antidepressant use should always apply to depressed patients with bipolar II disorder.

False

Antidepressant treatment should be continued indefinitely in patients with bipolar disorder who respond to treatment.

False

Quetiapine is not an effective long-term maintenance treatment option for patients with bipolar disorder.

False

Cognitive behaviour therapy has not been shown to be effective in unipolar depression.

False

The use of lithium to prevent further episodes of bipolar disorder is not associated with a decreased risk of suicidal behavior.

False

Patients with bipolar disorder typically respond to pharmacological treatment for depression in a different way than patients with unipolar depression.

False

Valproate should be prescribed as a first choice to women of childbearing age.

False

The risk of relapse is not increased when patients stop lithium suddenly.

False

People with bipolar disorder are always willing to consider long-term treatment with medication.

False

Quetiapine is not effective in preventing both depression and mania in patients with bipolar disorder.

False

Lamotrigine is more effective in preventing mania than depression in patients with bipolar illness.

False

In the UK, valproate is regarded as the first choice of mood stabilizer.

False

Mood stabilizing drugs can completely eliminate feelings of joy and creativity.

False

Regular clinical and biochemical monitoring of the physical health of bipolar patients is not important.

False

Psychological treatment approaches for bipolar disorder do not employ education about the illness and enhancing self-management.

False

The use of medication for mood stabilization is a sign of personal weakness.

False

Jamison's personal account provides an excellent explanation of the reasons for reluctance to consider long-term treatment with medication.

True

The effectiveness of treatment in clinical practice is not often disappointing for bipolar patients.

False

The use of psychosocial measures outlined in the text does not enhance the overall effectiveness of treatment plans for bipolar disorder.

False

Lithium is not effective in treating severe depressive symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder.

False

Stigma is not an important issue in the reluctance to consider long-term treatment with medication.

False

Randomized trials of certain approaches, such as psychoeducational programmes and family intervention, are not promising in enhancing the effectiveness of treatment plans for bipolar disorder.

False

Valproate is the most popular choice of mood stabilizer in both the UK and the USA.

False

Patients with bipolar disorder never have difficulties in accepting a diagnosis of a lifelong condition.

False

The lifetime risk of bipolar disorder is around 15%.

False

The average age of onset for patients with bipolar disorder is around 27 years.

False

The lifetime risk of unipolar disorder for first-degree relatives of patients with bipolar disorder is around 20–30%.

True

The average number of episodes for patients with bipolar disorder is around 4.

False

The sex ratio for unipolar disorder is around 1:1.

False

Mood elevation in a manic episode is always accompanied by increased energy and a decreased need for sleep.

True

For diagnosis, the manic episode should last for at least two weeks and should be severe enough to disrupt ordinary work and social activities.

False

In a manic episode, perceptual disorders may occur, such as an appreciation of colours being dull and uninteresting.

False

In a manic episode, self-esteem is often deflated and pessimistic ideas are freely expressed.

False

In a manic episode, the individual may become less talkative and less sociable.

False

In a manic episode, the individual's attention can be sustained for long periods of time.

False

What should be considered when a person develops mania or hypomania and is taking an antidepressant?

Stop the antidepressant and offer an antipsychotic

What is the initial treatment option for a person who develops mania or hypomania and is not taking an antipsychotic or mood stabilizer?

Haloperidol, olanzapine, quetiapine, or risperidone

What should be considered if an alternative antipsychotic is not sufficiently effective at the maximum licensed dose?

Add lithium

What is the next step if adding lithium is ineffective or not suitable?

Add valproate

What should be considered if a person is already taking a mood stabilizer such as lithium or valproate?

Increase the dose of the mood stabilizer

What factors should be taken into account when offering an antipsychotic?

Any advance statements, the person's preference, and clinical context

If a person develops moderate or severe bipolar depression and is taking either lithium or valproate, increasing the mood stabiliser to within the maximum permitted by the therapeutic range should not be considered.

False

Lamotrigine should be considered as an initial treatment option for a person who develops moderate or severe bipolar depression and is not taking a drug to treat their bipolar disorder.

False

When adding lamotrigine to valproate, the British National Formulary does not need to be followed.

False

Quetiapine is not an effective treatment option for moderate or severe bipolar depression.

False

If a person develops moderate or severe bipolar depression and is not taking a drug to treat their bipolar disorder, olanzapine on its own should be the initial treatment option.

False

What is the minimum frequency at which physical health checks should be performed for people with bipolar disorder?

At least annually

Which of the following is NOT included in the physical health check for people with bipolar disorder?

Pain tolerance

What is the purpose of monitoring liver function during physical health checks for people with bipolar disorder?

To monitor the side effects of long-term lithium use

Which of the following health metrics is NOT included in the metabolic status assessment during physical health checks for people with bipolar disorder?

Blood pressure

Why is it important to monitor renal function during physical health checks for people with bipolar disorder?

To monitor the side effects of long-term lithium use

In psychological approaches to bipolar disorder, patients are advised to avoid sleep patterns and regular social routines.

False

Identification of early subjective signs of relapse is not an important aspect of psychological approaches to bipolar disorder.

False

Medication is not discussed in psychological approaches to bipolar disorder, as it is not relevant to the patient's treatment plan.

False

Patients are not advised to avoid triggers for relapse, such as substance misuse, in psychological approaches to bipolar disorder.

False

Education about the importance of medication is not provided to patients with bipolar disorder as part of their treatment plan.

False

Study Notes

Assessment of Mania

  • Decide on the diagnosis of mania, assessing the severity of the disorder and its causes.
  • Assess the patient's social resources and the impact of the illness on others.
  • Diagnosis involves a careful history and examination, including taking a history from relatives.
  • Consider alternative diagnoses, such as frontal lobe lesions, and perform a urine screen for illegal substances.

Severity of Mania

  • Assess severity by interviewing an informant and the patient, as manic patients may exert self-control during an interview.
  • Identify any life events that may have provoked the onset of mania, such as physical illness or drug treatment.

Treatment of Mania

  • Use antipsychotic drugs, such as haloperidol, olanzapine, quetiapine, or risperidone, as the first line of treatment.
  • Consider adding a mood stabilizer, such as lithium or valproate, if the response to antipsychotic drugs is unsatisfactory.
  • May use ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) for severe or treatment-resistant cases.

Continuation Treatment

  • Continue treatment for at least 6 months to prevent relapse.
  • Gradually withdraw treatment, particularly lithium, to prevent "rebound" mania.

Bipolar Depression

  • Depressive episodes are common in bipolar disorder and are associated with the majority of the illness burden.
  • Assess depression using the methods described in Chapter 9, with particular attention to suicidal thinking.
  • Antidepressant drugs are not a first-line choice for bipolar depression, but may be used in combination with mood stabilizers.

Management of Mania

  • Hospital admission is often necessary to protect the patient from the consequences of their behavior.
  • Develop a therapeutic alliance with the patient, using an understanding and firm approach.
  • Use supportive, reality-orientated psychotherapy and educational sessions to help the patient and their family.

Medication

  • Antipsychotic drugs, such as olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone, are commonly used to treat mania.
  • Mood stabilizers, such as lithium and valproate, are used for longer-term prophylaxis or where the initial response to antipsychotic drugs is unsatisfactory.

Prevention of Relapse and Recurrence

  • Use maintenance treatment with a mood stabilizer or atypical antipsychotic drug to prevent relapse and recurrence.
  • Monitor the patient's plasma lithium levels and renal and thyroid function regularly.
  • Educate the patient about the importance of medication and the risks of stopping treatment suddenly.

Psychosocial Approaches

  • Use psychological treatment approaches, such as education about the illness and enhancing self-management, to help patients with bipolar disorder.
  • Focus on adjustment to the diagnosis, interpersonal and relationship difficulties, occupational problems, and substance misuse.

Epidemiology of Bipolar and Unipolar Disorder

  • The lifetime risk of bipolar disorder is about 1%, and the sex ratio is 1:1.
  • The average age of onset is 18 years, and 90% of patients have recurrence.
  • First-degree relatives have a lifetime risk of bipolar disorder of about 10% and unipolar disorder of 20-30%.### Bipolar Disorders
  • Bipolar disorder is a group of conditions characterized by depressive episodes and at least one episode of mania or hypomania.
  • The course of bipolar disorder is marked by a tendency to recurrence of mood disturbance.
  • Bipolar disorder tends to show a distinct familial clustering.

Clinical Features of Mania

  • The central features of mania include:
    • Elevation of mood
    • Increased activity
    • Self-important ideas
  • Mood:
    • Can be cheerful and optimistic, or irritable
    • May vary during the day, but not with a regular diurnal rhythm
  • Appearance and behavior:
    • Patients may be overactive and have a disheveled appearance
    • May have an increased appetite and reduced sleep
    • May engage in reckless behavior, such as extravagant spending or sexual indiscretions
  • Speech and thought:
    • Rapid and copious speech
    • Flight of ideas, with rapid changes in thought
    • Expansive ideas, with grandiose delusions or delusions of persecution
  • Perceptual disturbances:
    • Hallucinations, usually consistent with the mood
  • Insight is often impaired, and patients may not think of themselves as ill or in need of treatment.

Hypomanic Episode

  • A state of elevated mood that is less severe than mania
  • Criteria for hypomanic episode:
    • Persistent mild elevation of mood for at least 4 days
    • Increased energy and activity
    • Feelings of wellbeing
    • Increased talkativeness and overfamiliarity
    • Decreased need for sleep

Mixed Mood (Affective) States

  • Depressive and manic symptoms can occur simultaneously
  • Patients may be overactive and overtalkative, but still have profoundly depressive thoughts

Rapid Cycling Disorder

  • A type of bipolar disorder characterized by:
    • Frequent recurrence of mood disturbance (at least 4 episodes per year)
    • Episodes are separated by a period of remission or a switch to an episode of opposite polarity
  • More common in women, and often triggered by antidepressant drug treatment

Cyclothymia

  • A milder variant of bipolar disorder, characterized by:
    • Persistent instability of mood
    • Numerous periods of mild elation or depression
    • Episodes do not meet severity criteria for mania or major depression

Depression in Bipolar Disorder

  • Depressive episodes are common in bipolar disorder
  • Ability to predict which patients will develop bipolar illness is limited
  • Family history of bipolar disorder can provide a useful clue
  • Presence of hypomanic or mixed symptoms at initial presentation may have some predictive value

Distinguishing Bipolar Disorder from Unipolar Depression

  • Can be challenging, as there is a high degree of overlap between the two conditions
  • Presence of hypomanic symptoms, early age of onset, and clinical severity may be indicative of bipolar disorder
  • Psychomotor retardation, early morning awakening, morning worsening, and psychotic features are more common in bipolar depression### Genetic Causes of Bipolar Disorder
  • Family and twin studies have shown a high heritability of bipolar disorder, estimated to be around 85% (Bienvenu et al., 2011)
  • The concordance rate for mood disorder in monozygotic co-twins of a proband with bipolar disorder is around 60%, indicating a strong genetic component
  • The genetic liability to bipolar disorder likely results from the combined action of multiple genes of modest or small effect (polygenic inheritance)
  • Rare structural chromosomal abnormalities (copy number variants) and gene-gene interactions (epistasis) may also contribute to the genetic risk

Molecular Genetics of Bipolar Disorder

  • Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several risk loci, including CACNA1C, which encodes a subunit of the L-type calcium channel
  • About 10 replicated loci have been identified so far, with some genes clustering around biologically meaningful processes (e.g. voltage-gated calcium channels)
  • Many of the genes identified in GWAS studies of bipolar disorder also appear to be risk alleles for the development of schizophrenia

Environmental Factors in Bipolar Disorder

  • Childhood sexual abuse is a known risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder
  • Life events, such as negative events or goal attainment, can trigger episodes of both depression and mania in bipolar patients
  • Social support and expressed emotion can also influence the course of bipolar disorder

Neurobiological Approaches to Bipolar Disorder

  • Dopamine has been implicated in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder, with some studies suggesting a heightened responsivity to changes in dopamine neurotransmission in patients at risk of mania
  • Glutamate levels may be increased in bipolar patients, which could be a potential biomarker for diagnosis
  • Cortisol hypersecretion has been reported in patients with bipolar disorder, which may be linked to cognitive impairment
  • Oestrogen and progesterone levels may also play a role in the development of bipolar disorder, particularly in the postpartum period

Neuroimaging and Neuropathological Changes in Bipolar Disorder

  • Studies using MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have revealed abnormalities in certain white matter tracts, including reduced hippocampal volumes
  • Functional imaging studies have shown abnormalities in neural responses to emotional stimuli, including increased activity in the amygdala and reduced activity in prefrontal cortical regions
  • Neuropathological changes, including reductions in neuronal and glial cell density, have been reported in patients with bipolar disorder

Cognitive Deficits in Bipolar Disorder

  • Cognitive deficits are present in bipolar disorder during both acute illness and periods of euthymia
  • Deficits are apparent in first-episode patients and cover a range of neuropsychological domains, including executive function, verbal memory, attention, and processing speed

Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

  • Valproate has been shown to possess antimanic activity, with a rapid onset of action
  • Benzodiazepines can be useful adjuncts in the treatment of mania, particularly for rapid calming and restoration of sleep
  • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been shown to be effective in acute mania, with a response rate of around 80%
  • Continuation treatment with medication is important to prevent relapse, with a typical duration of at least 6 months

Clinical Features of Manic Episode

  • Mood is elevated out of keeping with the individual's circumstances, with varying degrees of excitement and irritability
  • Increased energy results in overactivity, pressure of speech, and decreased need for sleep
  • Social inhibitions are lost, attention cannot be sustained, and there is often marked distractibility
  • Self-esteem is inflated, and grandiose and overoptimistic ideas are freely expressed

Classification of Bipolar Disorder

  • ICD-10 and DSM-5 criteria for bipolar disorder, including manic episode, hypomanic episode, and depression
  • Bipolar I and bipolar II disorders, with differing levels of severity and psychotic symptoms

Test your understanding of bipolar disorders, a group of conditions characterized by depressive episodes and at least one episode of mania or hypomania. Learn about the history of the concept, including Kraepelin's manic depressive psychosis and Leonhard's contributions. Evaluate your knowledge of the clinical course and recurrence of mood disturbances.

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