Objectives Electroconvulsive therapy under general anesthesia is an established treatment for mood disorders, such as therapy-resistant depression. As most anesthetic drugs used for induction of anesthesia increase the seizure threshold, adequate depth of anesthesia without diminishing the therapeutic efficacy of interventions is crucial. The aim of this study was to investigate whether anesthesia depth as assessed by Narcotrend (NCT) monitoring correlates with maximum seizure quality. Methods An observational study was performed in psychiatric patients undergoing multiple interventions of electroconvulsive therapy. Seizure quality of each attendance was assessed evaluating electroencephalogram end point, electromyogram end point, postictal suppression index, the midictal amplitude, and a 3-step overall graduation. Narcotrend was used to assess anesthesia depth according to index-based electroencephalogram findings. Measurements were obtained before induction of anesthesia, before stimulation, and after arousal. Data were analyzed by means of linear mixed models and generalized estimating equations models. Results A total of 105 interventions in 12 patients were analyzed. Anesthesia depth before stimulation was significantly associated with seizure quality (standardized β = 0.244, P = 0.010), maximum sustained coherence (β = 0.207, P = 0.022), and electroencephalogram duration (β = 0.215, P = 0.012). A cutoff value of 41 or greater versus 40 or less for the NCT index was found appropriate to differentiate between good and less satisfactory overall seizure quality. Conclusions Anesthesia depth index assessed by NCT monitoring was positively associated with seizure quality. Narcotrend monitoring may be useful in assessment of optimal anesthesia depth before stimulation.

Data regarding older age bipolar disorder (OABD) are sparse. Two major groups are classified as patients with first occurrence of mania in old age, the so called “late onset” patients (LOBD), and the elder patients with a long-standing clinical history, the so called “early onset” patients (EOBD). The aim of the present literature review is to provide more information on specific issues concerning OABD, such as epidemiology, aetiology and treatments outcomes. We conducted a Medline literature search from 1970–2021 using the MeSH terms “bipolar disorder” and “aged” or “geriatric” or “elderly”. The additional literature was retrieved by examining cross references and by a hand search in textbooks. With sparse data on the treatment of OABD, current guidelines concluded that first-line treatment of OABD should be similar to that for working-age bipolar disorder, with specific attention to side effects, somatic comorbidities and specific risks of OABD. With constant monitoring and awareness of the possible toxic drug interactions, lithium is a safe drug for OABD patients, both in mania and maintenance. Lamotrigine and lurasidone could be considered in bipolar depression. Mood stabilizers, rather than second generation antipsychotics, are the treatment of choice for maintenance. If medication fails, electroconvulsive therapy is recommended for mania, mixed states and depression, and can also be offered for continuation and maintenance treatment. Preliminary results also support a role of psychotherapy and psychosocial interventions in old age BD. The recommended treatments for OABD include lithium and antiepileptics such as valproic acid and lamotrigine, and lurasidone for bipolar depression, although the evidence is still weak. Combined psychosocial and pharmacological treatments also appear to be a treatment of choice for OABD. More research is needed on the optimal pharmacological and psychosocial approaches to OABD, as well as their combination and ranking in an evidence-based therapy algorithm.

Categorial systems of nosology are based on a cross-sectional enumeration of symptoms with a predefined cut-off, but hardly capture rapid fluctuations of manifestation nor longitudinal characteristics, e.g., cyclicity. Especially with disorders presenting with an admixture or frequent change of psychotic and affective symptoms, diagnostic specifity of the DSM and ICD diminishes. In those instances, alternative concepts as cycloid psychosis might display more accurately the very characteristics and course of a mental disorder and help to tailor individualized treatments. Karl Leonhard described three major subtypes of cycloid psychosis: anxiety-happiness psychosis, confusion psychosis, and motility psychosis, all showing a pleiomorphic symptom profile resembling intraphasic switching of poles. Here we present the case of a 59-year-old woman suffering from cycloid psychosis as defined by the criteria of Perris. Between 2013 and June 2019, the patient was admitted 35 times for compulsory treatment. A frequent change of diagnoses, ranging from adjustment disorder to complex PTSD, and from unipolar depression to "pseudoneurotic schizophrenia," resembles the puzzling manifestations. Most of the time the patient was labeled as schizoaffective disorder despite never displaying clear psychotic core symptoms. Despite treatment with different antipsychotics including LAI the cumulative length of hospitalization increased steadily from 74 days in 2014 to 292 days in 2017. When reviewing the case in 2017 the longitudinal pattern of her disorder and the diverse acute manifestations were finally conceptualized as a cyclic on-off of an atypical psychosis. After starting lithium to pre-existing LAI antipsychotics and valproic acid, the number of days per year spent in inpatient care sharply dropped to 136 in 2018. We propose to reconsider cycloid psychosis as a useful clinical concept whose descriptive value, validity and utility for treatment decisions should be further evaluated. Lithium alone or in addition to valproic acid may act on cyclicity as a core symptom of cycloid psychosis as well as of bipolar disorder, even in the absence of major affective symptoms.

Objectives: Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with impairments in facial emotion and emotional prosody perception during both mood episodes and periods of remission. To expand on previous research, the current study investigated cross-modal emotion perception, that is, matching of facial emotion and emotional prosody in remitted BD patients. Methods: Fifty-nine outpatients with BD and 45 healthy volunteers were included into a cross-sectional study. Cross-modal emotion perception was investigated by using two subtests out of the Comprehensive Affective Testing System (CATS). Results: Compared to control subjects patients were impaired in matching sad (p < .001) and angry emotional prosody (p = .034) to one of five emotional faces exhibiting the corresponding emotion and significantly more frequently matched sad emotional prosody to happy faces (p < .001) and angry emotional prosody to neutral faces (p = .017). In addition, patients were impaired in matching neutral emotional faces to the emotional prosody of one of three sentences (p = .006) and significantly more often matched neutral faces to sad emotional prosody (p = .014). Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that, even during periods of symptomatic remission, patients suffering from BD are impaired in matching facial emotion and emotional prosody. As this type of emotion processing is relevant in everyday life, our results point to the necessity to provide specific training programs to improve psychosocial outcomes. (JINS, 2019, 25, 336-342)

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to contribute evidence for the efficacy of continuation and maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (c/mECT) going beyond the existing literature by examining longer-term outcomes from a single center.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective observational cohort study for a 14-year period, in which a group of 27 individuals with mood disorders, as defined by International Classification of Diseases-10, were examined and received acute ECT, followed by c/mECT. Mirror-image comparison of individual data sets, 5 years before and after c/mECT, was conducted for the number and mean duration of hospitalizations, as well as inpatient days per year. Statistical analysis was performed using general equation estimation modeling.ResultsIn 27 patients (63% female, mean ± SD age = 54.3 ± 11.7 years) experiencing either from bipolar (41%) or unipolar (59%) mood disorder, with most patients presenting with a depressive episode at hospital admission (93%), c/mECT was initiated after a successful course of acute ECT in addition to treatment as usual. In a 5-year period before and after starting c/mECT, we observed a significant decline in the mean number of hospitalizations per year (0.64 vs 0.32,P= 0.031), the average number of inpatient days per year (23.7 vs 6.1 days,P< 0.001), and the mean duration of hospital stays (41.6 vs 22.1 days,P= 0.031).ConclusionsThe findings provide further support for the efficacy of c/mECT as an augmentation therapy to psychopharmacological treatment in patients experiencing mood disorders, who have responded to acute ECT. Further studies, however, using a controlled study design and larger sample sizes are needed.

Lithiuminduzierte chronische aber potenziell reversible Nierenveränderungen sind eine Polyurie und eine renale reduzierte Konzentrationsfähigkeit. Dauert die Symptomatik über 6 Jahre an, kann es zu einem irreversiblen nephrogenen Diabetes insipidus (NDI) kommen. Polyurie, Durst und Polydipsie scheinen bei Älteren symptomatisch weniger ausgeprägt zu sein als bei jüngeren Erwachsenen, wobei die reduzierte Harnosmolarität einen Hinweis auf einen vorhandenen Diabetes insipidus liefert. Die Lithiumtherapie ist auch mit anderen chronischen aber potenziell nicht reversiblen chronischen Nephropathien (CKD) assoziiert. Risikofaktoren zur Progression zu einer renalen Insuffizienz stellen eine bereits vorgeschädigte Niere, weibliches Geschlecht, hohe Lithiumdosen, die Dauer der Therapie, Lithiumintoxikationen oder die Entwicklung eines NDI dar. Eine niedrig dosierte Lithiumlangzeitgabe bei älteren Patienten hat keine Beeinträchtigung der renalen Funktion zur Folge. So kann man zusammenfassen, dass die Dosis das Gift macht. Lithium kann in einigen raren Fällen zum Endstadium einer Niereninsuffizienz (ESRD) führen. Dies macht ein kontinuierliches Monitoring umso wichtiger. Bei der Lithiumtherapie älterer Patienten gilt es, das individuelle Risiko einer Nierenschädigung mit dem Benefiz einer affektiven Stabilität über Jahre hinweg gut abzuwägen.

Antipsychotics (AP) are commonly used in the treatment of bipolar disorder. They cover a broad spectrum of indications including acute psychotic, manic and depressive symptoms, and maintenance treatment. This study evaluates the changes in prescribing patterns of first-generation antipsychotics (FGA) and second-generation AP at Innsbruck University Hospital for the treatment of bipolar inpatients between 1999 and 2016. In this retrospective chart review, we included adult patients with a diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder (ICD 9: F296; ICD 10: F31) who were admitted as inpatients at the Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy between 1999 and 2016 for more than 7 days. The study was approved by the local ethics committee. The complete medical histories were searched retrospectively for the prescription of psychotropic medications at the time of discharge, with a special focus on APs. We found a significant increase in the use of atypical AP, mainly attributable to the prescription of quetiapine for all types of episodes, followed by aripiprazole for manic and as add-on therapy for depressive episodes. The prescription rate of clozapine decreased significantly. The prescription rate of FGA showed a small but not significant decrease for the treatment of manic and mixed episodes, and a significant decrease for depressive episodes. These trends apparently mirror in part the evidence base for the use of AP, but also illustrate that clinicians still appreciate the effectiveness of FGA despite their inferior tolerability profile.

Objectives: Improving Quality of Life (QoL) is an important objective in the treatment of bipolar disorder. The aim of the current study was to examine to which extent resilience, internalized stigma, and psychopathology are correlated to QoL. Methods: We recruited 60 outpatients diagnosed with bipolar I disorder according to DSM-IV criteria and 77 healthy control subjects from the general community. In patients, symptoms were quantified by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and internalized stigma by the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) scale. In order to assess QoL and resilience, the Berliner Lebensqualitatsprofil (BELP) and the Resilience Scale (RS-25) were used in both patients and control subjects. Results: Despite presenting with a very mild symptom level and relatively low internalized stigma, patients with bipolar I disorder indicated significantly lower QoL and resilience as compared to healthy control subjects. In patients, QoL correlated significantly with resilience, internalized stigma, and residual symptoms of depression. No significant correlations were observed between QoL and residual manic symptoms. Limitations: The cross-sectional design and the relatively small sample size limit the generalizability of our results. Furthermore, levels of resilience and internalized stigma may change over the course of the illness and have different impacts on the long-term outcome of patients with bipolar disorder. Conclusion: Our results show that QoL of patients suffering from bipolar I disorder, even when only mildly ill, is strongly associated with the degree of resilience and internalized stigma, and that particularly residual depressive symptoms have a negative impact on QoL. In addition to drug treatment, psychotherapeutic approaches should be applied to strengthen resilience, to reduce internalized stigma, and, ultimately, to improve quality of life.

Die Behandlung psychiatrischer Erkrankungen mit Lithium bei älteren Patienten ist phasenprophylaktisch so wirksam wie in der Allgemeinbevölkerung und besitzt auch im Alter einen suizidpräventiven Charakter. Eine Ultra-Langzeitgabe von Lithium bei alten Patienten ermöglicht diesen ein gutes berufliches und psychosoziales Funktionsniveau. Trotzdem wird Lithium in dieser Patientengruppe nur zögerlich eingesetzt, weil gravierende Nebenwirkungen befürchtet werden.

Zusammenfassung Einleitung Bei vielen Patienten mit bipolaren Störungen gibt es keine gleichwertige Alternative zur Lithiumtherapie, auch bei eingeschränkter Nierenfunktion. Lässt sich eine Lithiumtherapie trotz eingeschränkter Nierenfunktion durch Veränderung der Dosierung und/oder Einnahmehäufigkeit fortführen? Kasuistik Wir berichten über eine an Bipolar-I-Störung leidende 65-jährige Patientin, die über viele Jahre Lithium als Phasenprophylaktikum erhielt. Unter dieser Therapie reduzierte sich die glomeruläre Filtrationsrate (GFR) als Ausdruck der Nierenfunktion bis zu Werten unter 60 mL/min/1,73 m2. Es stellte sich die Frage nach einer nierenschonenden Weiterführung oder des Ausschleichens der Lithium-Therapie. Schlussfolgerung Die abendliche Einzelgabe mit 25%-iger Dosisreduktion senkte den Lithium-Serumspiegel nicht. Erst eine Dosisreduktion um 50%, die mit einer Erniedrigung des Lithiumserumspiegels einherging, konnte die reduzierte GFR wieder anheben. Eine nierenschonende Lithiumtherapie bei Patienten mit reduzierter Nierenfunktion bewegt sich zwischen „Skylla und Charybdis“.

Introduction In quite a few patients with bipolar disorder there is no real alternative to lithium treatment despite impaired kidney function. Is it possible to continue lithium treatment despite kidney malfunction by changing dosage and/or frequency of administration? Case Report We report on a 65-year-old woman suffering from bipolar-I disorder who had been on lithium treatment for many decades. While on lithium, the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decreased constantly. A decision had to be made whether to switch to a more tolerable o.d. administration or to taper off lithium. Conclusion With a single dose at bedtime, the serum levels remained stable; however, kidney function unfortunately did not improve. A relevant increase of GFR above the level of 60 mL/min/1,73 m2 was only achieved after a 50% dose reduction leading also to a substantial decrease of lithium serum levels. A kidney protective lithium application in patients with reduced renal function is like sailing between Scylla and Charybdis.

BACKGROUND:The optimal duration of antidepressant treatment in bipolar depression appears to be controversial due to a lack of quality evidence, and guideline recommendations are either vague or contradictive. This is especially true for second line treatments such as bupropion that had not been subject to rigourous long term studies in Bipolar Disorder.CASE PRESENTATION:We report the case of a 75 year old woman who presented with treatment refractory bipolar depression. Because of insufficient response to previous mood stabilizer treatment and refractory depressive symptoms, bupropion was added to venlafaxine and lamotrigine. From there onwards, the patient improved continuously without experiencing deterioration of depression or a switch into hypomania. Our patient being on antidepressants for allmost four years experienced an obvious benefit from longterm antidepressant administration.CONCLUSION:Noradrenergic/dopaminergic mechanisms of action may play a more prominent role in bipolar depression, and may still be underused as a therapeutic strategy in the acute phase as well as in long-term maintenance in at least a subgroup of bipolar patients. There is still a lack of evidence from RCTs, but this case report further supports antidepressant long-term continuation and the usefulness of a noradrenergic/dopaminergic antidepressant in the acute and maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder.

Background Mental illness is a common phenomenon at all ages. Various independent studies have shown that psychopathology is often expressed on a continuum from youth to adulthood. The aim of our study was to demonstrate a) the frequency of admission of former child and adolescent psychiatry inpatients (CAP-IP) to adult inpatient mental health facilities, and b) a potential longitudinal diagnostic shift. This is the first Austrian study designed to shed light on these issues. Methods Nearly 1000 inpatient cases at a specialized child and adolescent care center were analyzed. These cases were then tracked using data matching with registry data from adult psychiatric institutions. Overall, our observational period was 23 years. Results 26 % of our sample of former CAP-IP used psychiatric inpatient mental health services as adults, thus indicating chronicity or reoccurrence. In line with previous literature, there were patients who stayed in the same diagnostic category as well as patients with a diagnostic shift from childhood to adulthood. Conclusions Childhood and adolescence is a very important period for early intervention and prevention of mental illness. Our findings support the notion of the continuity of psychopathology from youth into adulthood.

Ein agitiert psychotischer Patient wird in die Klinik zwangseingewiesen. Außenanamnestisch werden eine bipolare Störung sowie eine seit kurzer Zeit bestehende antidiuretische Therapie in Kombination mit Lithium erhoben. Der Patient bietet ein agitiert psychotisches Zustandsbild. Anhand dieser Kasuistik werden die Differenzialdiagnose zwischen manischem Rezidiv mit psychotischen Symptomen sowie die neurotoxischen Nebenwirkungen einer Lithium-Therapie besprochen. Infolge werden potenzielle von Lithium induzierte neurotoxische und gastrointestinale Symptome aufgelistet.

OBJECTIVE:Bipolar disorder is associated with impairments in emotion processing that are present during both mood episodes and periods of remission. In this context, most previous studies have investigated facial emotion recognition abilities. In contrast, the current study focused on the perception of prosodic and semantic affect.METHOD:The present study directly contrasted the perception of prosodic and semantic affect in 58 remitted patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for bipolar I disorder and 45 healthy volunteers by using 2 subtests of the Comprehensive Affective Testing System (CATS) and investigated the relationship of prosodic and semantic affect perception with patients' outcomes. Participants were investigated from June 2011 until May 2013.RESULTS:Patients and controls did not differ regarding the recognition of the vocal emotion while ignoring the affective meaning of test trials (CATS 1), but patients significantly more often misinterpreted sad as happy prosody (P = .039). In addition, patients were impaired in recognizing the affective meaning of test trials while ignoring the vocal emotion (CATS 2; P = .052). Again, they significantly more often misinterpreted a sad affective meaning as a happy one (P = .025). However, the findings on misinterpretations did not withstand Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. CATS 1 test performance was negatively correlated with depression scores, whereas a positive association was found between performance on both tests and patients' functioning. Patients indicated a significantly lower quality of life (P < .001); however, multiple mediation analysis revealed that this finding was not mediated by differences in prosodic and/or semantic affect perception between the 2 groups.CONCLUSIONS:Even during periods of remission, patients with bipolar disorder may be impaired in semantic but not prosodic affect perception. Notably, they may frequently misinterpret sadly expressed emotions as happy ones. Our findings underscore the relevance of these deficits in the psychosocial context.

Die Erhaltungs-Elektro-Konvulsionstherapie (EEKT) ist eine Möglichkeit der Erhaltungstherapie bei Patienten mit schwer und chronisch verlaufenden affektiven Störungen. Für sie liegen aktuell nur wenige empirische Studien vor und dementsprechend gibt es einen hohen Bedarf an neuen Forschungsergebnissen.

Die Epidemiologie beschäftigt sich mit der Häufigkeit und der Art des Auftretens von Erkrankungen in bestimmten Gruppen der Gesellschaft. Umfangreiche Studien mit solider Datenlage können mittlerweile zeigen, dass psychische Störungen in der Gruppe der Kinder und Jugendlichen weltweit häufige Phänomene sind. Im vorliegenden Review soll ein Überblick über aktuelle und relevante Studien geboten werden. Internationale und deutschsprachige Arbeiten zu Häufigkeit, Diagnoseverteilung, Verlauf sowie zur unterschiedlichen geschlechtlichen Verteilung von psychischen Störungen in der Altersgruppe der Kinder und Jugendlichen werden vorgestellt. Weiters wird auf methodische Herausforderungen in der Befunderhebung Bezug genommen. Originalarbeiten werden mit Zitaten aus aktuellen Lehrbüchern ergänzt.

The increasing number of pharmacological treatment options for bipolar disorder seems to be paralleled by the number of evidence-based guidelines published previously. The aim of this study was to systematically examine the adherence to published guidelines and any change in prescription habits over time in a psychiatric hospital setting. This is a retrospective study of 531 bipolar in patients who were consecutively admitted to the Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy in Innsbruck. Their complete medical histories were evaluated for psychotropic medications, with a special focus on mood stabilizers (MSs). To compare the use of individual MSs or combinations with other psychotropic medications in two preselected observation periods (1999-2003 and 2004-2007), we used Fisher's exact test. Overall, the proportion of patients receiving at least one MS increased significantly from 1999-2003 to 2004-2007 (74.1 vs. 83.1%, P=0.011). Among the individual MSs, valproate was used most frequently in both time periods, showing a significant increase (P<0.001). Prescriptions of quetiapine (P<0.001) and lamotrigine (P=0.033) increased significantly, carbamazepine showed a significant decrease (P<0.001). Prescriptions of lithium and olanzapine decreased without reaching significance. The significant increase in the prescription of MS reflects the increasing awareness and implementation of recent evidence-based medicine guidelines into clinical practice. Clinical decision making, usually made on the basis of individual clinical experience, should always be reevaluated using periodically updated evidence-based medicine guidelines.