Bipolar disorder (previously also labeled manic-depressive illness) is typically referred to as an episodic, yet lifelong and clinically severe affective (or mood) disorder, affecting approximately 3.5% of the population (Marmol, 2008; Simon, 2003; Wittchen et al., 2003; Woods, 2000). The term bipolar disorder, however, encompasses several phenotypes of mood disorders, i.e. mania, hypomania or ...

A case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder with no contributory or past history who developed delusional mania while on clomipramine is presented. The manic symptoms resolved after discontinuation of drug. The link between serotonin and mania is speculated upon. The need to look for manic symptoms in patients on clomipramine is stressed.

OBJECTIVES To examine the feasibility of collecting course of illness data from patients with bipolar I and II disorder, using weekly text-messaged mood ratings, and to examine the time trajectory of symptom ratings based on this method of self-report. METHODS A total of 62 patients with bipolar I (n = 47) or II (n = 15) disorder provided mood data in response to weekly cell phone text messag...

The hypothesis is presented that the etiology of schizophrenia is neurodevelopmental: schizophrenia is a disorder occurring in extremely late maturers, whereas manic-depressive psychosis affects early maturers. This hypothesis is related to recent neurobiological findings and also to the following epidemiological and demographic topics covered by the author in her review of social class, marria...

Age of onset can have a significant impact on clinical course and pathophysiological mechanism of bipolar disorder. Late-onset bipolar episodes are more likely linked to medical illnesses and so are frequently classified as "secondary" forms of mood disorder. We discuss the case of a patient who at the age of 58 presented his first delusional-manic episode. He also had mild frontal and occipita...

BACKGROUND Genes encoding proteins involved in serotonergic metabolism are major candidates in association studies of mood disorders and suicidal behavior. This association study explores whether the tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) gene, which codes for the rate-limiting enzyme of serotonin biosynthesis, is a susceptibility factor for manic-depressive illness, with or without a history of suicide ...

OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of teaching patients with bipolar disorder (manic-depressive psychosis) to identify early symptoms of relapse and seek prompt treatment from health services. DESIGN Single blind randomised controlled trial with matching on four baseline variables using a minimisation algorithm. SETTING Mental health services in four NHS trusts (one teaching, three non-tea...

The prevalence and frequency of comorbidity of possible bipolar disorder was examined with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a nonreferred population of twins. Children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 years with a history of manic symptoms were identified from a population-based twin sample obtained from state birth records (n = 1610). The sample was enriched for ADHD; however, th...

Atypical antipsychotics have become a widely utilized component of the bipolar disorder treatment armamentarium, with approximately 45% of bipolar patients prescribed atypicals. Over the last decade all atypical drugs except for clozapine have received a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) bipolar indication. In October 2008, the FDA approved quetiapine XR monotherapy for the treatment of acute ...

Affective disorders, including major depression, mania and bipolar disorder, represent a spectrum of severe psychiatric diseases reflecting a continuum of psychopathological symptoms. Starting in young adulthood and often leading to suicidal ideation, affective disorders are ranking among the most disabling diseases worldwide in terms of the WHO global burden of disease, are socio-economically ...