A Retrospective Case-Note Study of Bipolar Disorder in Old Age

1991 ◽  
Vol 158 (4) ◽  
pp. 485-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Snowdon

In a replication of an earlier published study, case notes of 75 elderly in-patients with bipolar affective disorder were examined. Few of the patients had experienced a manic episode before the age of 40. Mean age of onset of affective disorder was 46 years, and first manic episode at 60 years. Cerebral insults before the first manic attacks were recorded in a substantial number of cases, and a family history of mental illness was less common among this group. Bipolar affective disorder is relatively common as a reason for admission of elderly patients.

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. e242841
Author(s):  
Sam Topp ◽  
Emma Salisbury

Lithium is an effective mood stabiliser used to treat bipolar affective disorder (BPAD); however, it can also adversely affect the kidneys, causing acute toxic effects, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, chronic renal dysfunction and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in a minority of patients. We describe the case of a man with a 34-year history of BPAD type-1 and a 2-year history of ESKD secondary to lithium-induced nephropathy who experienced a manic relapse. He previously responded well to lithium but, following a deterioration in kidney function, was switched to olanzapine and sodium valproate. This precipitated a period of instability, which culminated in a treatment-resistant manic episode requiring hospital admission. After a multidisciplinary team discussion, lithium therapy was restarted and provided remission. This was achieved safely through a reduced dosing schedule of three times a week post dialysis, slow dose titration and blood level monitoring prior to each dialysis session.


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. e100663
Author(s):  
Surbhi Batra ◽  
Sumit Kumar ◽  
Lokesh Singh Shekhawat

Neurocysticercosis is the most common neuro-parasitosis caused by the larval stage of Taenia solium. The most common manifestations include seizures and hydrocephalus. Psychiatric abnormalities are relatively rare but depressive symptoms are frequent in patients with neurocysticercosis. However, mania as a presentation is relatively rare. Pregnancy and the postpartum period are relatively vulnerable times and they can lead to reactivation of existing neurocysterci lesions. We are discussing the case of a 23-year-old female patient with neurocysticercosis leading to the reactivation of lesions in the peripartum and postpartum period leading to bipolar affective disorder. Improvement in the patient was seen with a combination of antipsychotics, antihelmintics, antiepileptics and steroids, along with improved radiological signs of neurocysterci lesions. Although neurocysticercosis is a common illness, its prevalence presenting as a manic episode is merely 2.6% and, hence, missed easily. Therefore, it is important to rule out organic aetiology in patients even with a classic presentation of bipolar affective disorder and those having any other neurological symptoms and signs.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Sean Paul ◽  
Jennifer Goetz ◽  
Jeffrey Bennett ◽  
Tessy Korah

Challenges encountered in the diagnosis and treatment of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are further confounded when presented with comorbid psychiatric disorder. Here we report a case of progressive FTD in a patient with a long history of bipolar affective disorder (BAD) 1, depressed type. We also report beneficial effects of electroconvulsive therapy and its potential application in similar comorbid disorders.


2009 ◽  
Vol 43 (9) ◽  
pp. 838-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Walterfang ◽  
Gin S. Malhi ◽  
Amanda G. Wood ◽  
David C. Reutens ◽  
Jian Chen ◽  
...  

Objective: Callosal structural and functional alterations have been demonstrated in a range of neuropsychiatric illnesses, including bipolar disorder, but no study has examined regional callosal thickness in this phenotype. The aim of the present study was therefore to examine callosal size and shape in a well-defined group of bipolar affective disorder patients and controls. Methods: The participants included 24 patients with DSM-IV bipolar I disorder and 24 matched healthy controls. The corpus callosum was extracted from mid-callosal images from T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans on all participants, and callosal area, length, bending angle and regional callosal thickness measures were computed from these images. Results: The callosum was thinner in the bipolar group overall, with a disproportionately reduced thickness in the splenium. Psychotic and non-psychotic patients did not differ, although patients without a family history of mood disorders had a thinner callosum. Conclusion: Callosal reductions are present in established bipolar disorder, and affect posterior regions more than anterior regions. This may reflect a primary disturbance to myelination, or a secondary effect of grey matter changes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 210-216
Author(s):  
Novi Milasari ◽  
Dyah Aryani Perwitasari ◽  
Sawitri Sawitri

Bipolar affective disorder is an episodic mental disorder characterized by manic, hypomanic, depressive, and mixed episodes, usually recurring and can last a lifetime. Patients with bipolar disorder have annual medical costs that were four times those of patients without bipolar disorder. The aim of this study is to analyze the cost-effectiveness of combination therapy between mood stabilizers and antipsychotics in patients with the bipolar affective disorder at Grhasia Mental Hospital Yogyakarta. This study is a retrospective with cohort study design using medical records and direct medical cost data during Januari-December 2018 period. Subjects are patients who were diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder manic episode (F31.2) and received a combination of mood stabilizer and antipsychotic therapy. The results were obtained in 46 patients with the affective disorder who met the inclusion criteria. The average direct medical cost of the sodium divalproate group was IDR 6.319.933 per day and in the lithium group was IDR 5.705.953 per day. The average length of stay in the sodium divalproate group was 25,79 days and in the lithium group was 25,75 days (P = 0,991). The Average Cost Effectivity Ratio (ACER) sodium divalproat group is lower than the lithium group (IDR 221.246 per day and IDR 245.434 per day, respectively). The conclusion of this study is that the combination of sodium divalproate-antipsychotic therapy is more cost-effective than lithium-antipsychotic therapy in a patient with bipolar affective disorder manic episode


2000 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 619-621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L Goren ◽  
Gary M Levin

OBJECTIVE: To report a case in which bipolar depression was resistant to usual therapies, requiring dosages of bupropion >450 mg/d and to review the literature on mania associated with bupropion and propose a potential theory of a dose-related threshold associated with bupropion and mania. CASE SUMMARY: A 44-year-old white man with a 25-year history of bipolar affective disorder presented with depression resistant to usual therapies. Bupropion therapy was initiated and the dosage was titrated to 600 mg/d. After exceeding the maximum recommended daily dose (450 mg/d), he experienced a manic episode attrib uted to high-dose bupropion. DISCUSSION: Due to increased risk of seizures, current prescribing guidelines state that the total daily dose of bupropion is not to exceed 450 mg/d. Since bupropion is the agent least likely to cause a manic switch in bipolar disorder, this agent seemed a logical choice to treat the patient's depression. Due to a lack of response, the bupropion dosage was titrated to a maximum of 600 mg/d. Since the patient did not switch into mania until the dosage exceeded 450 mg/d, we speculate that this adverse reaction is a dose-related phenomenon. Scientific literature supports this theory. CONCLUSIONS: A switch into mania is a potential risk associated with antidepressant drug use in bipolar affective disorder. Bupropion is believed to be associated with a decreased risk compared with other antidepressant therapies. However, our case report as well as others support the theory that this decreased risk may be due to dosages not exceeding the recommended daily dose (450 mg/d). Doses of bupropion >450 mg/d should be used with caution in depressed patients with bipolar affective disorder.


1993 ◽  
Vol 163 (S21) ◽  
pp. 20-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. Abou-Saleh

The search for predictors of outcome has not been particularly rewarding, and the use of lithium remains empirical: a trial of lithium is the most powerful predictor of outcome. However, lithium is a highly specific treatment for bipolar disorder. In non-bipolar affective disorder, factors of interest are correlates of bipolar disorder: mood-congruent psychotic features, retarded-endogenous profile, cyclothymic personality, positive family history of bipolar illness, periodicity, and normality between episodes of illness.


2019 ◽  
pp. 052-058
Author(s):  
Bourin Michel

It appears that bipolar patients suffer from cognitive difficulties whereas they are in period of thymic stability. These intercritical cognitive difficulties are fairly stable and their severity is correlated with the functional outcome of patients. Nevertheless, the profile of cognitive impairment varies significantly from study to study quantitatively and qualitatively. According to the studies, the authors find difficulties in terms of learning, verbal memory, visual memory, working memory, sustained attention, speed of information processing, functions executive. On the other hand, deficits of general intelligence, motor functions, selective attention, and language are not usually found. One of the reasons for the heterogeneity of results is the difficulty of exploring cognition in bipolar disorder. Many factors must be taken into account, such as the presence of residual mood symptoms, the longitudinal history of the disorder (age of onset, number of episodes due, among others, the neurotoxic impact of depressive episodes and deleterious cognitive effects). (length of hospitalization), level of disability severity, comorbidities (particularly addictive).


Introduction Historical perspective Mania/manic episode Hypomania/hypomanic episode Bipolar spectrum disorder Bipolar (affective) disorder 1: classification Bipolar (affective) disorder 2: clinical notes Bipolar (affective) disorder 3: aetiology Bipolar (affective) disorder 4: management principles Other issues affecting management decisions Treatment of acute manic episodes Treatment of depressive episodes...


CNS Spectrums ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 206-207
Author(s):  
Muhammad Zaidi ◽  
Anurag Prabhu ◽  
Jose Perez Martell ◽  
Sakshi Dhir

AbstractBackgroundLithium remains to be the drug of choice for treating BPAD for the past few decades. There is extensive literature showing the effectiveness of Lithium when used as a mood stabilizing agent in bipolar spectrum disorders. However significant number of articles show that a third of the patients who receive lithium for their symptomology not only do not show any response but also may show deterioration of their clinical symptoms. (However, research shows that Lithium may negatively affect a third of the patients depending on various factors). The side effect profile of Lithium and especially its neurotoxic effects were discussed in depth in literature over the last decade. Although Lithium remains first choice as maintenance treatment for bipolar affective disorder, about half of all individuals may stop their treatment at some point, despite its proven benefits concerning the prevention of severe affective episodes and suicide.MethodsThe authors performed a systematic literature review to recognize the significance of negative effects of Lithium in a minority of patient population and also comment on the factors influencing patient compliance. We ran a literature search on Pubmed using the following terms: “Lithium” AND (“schizoaffective disorder [MeSH terms]” OR “Bipolar Affective disorder [MeSH terms]” ). Our inclusion criteria were studies which have observed effects of Lithium in schizoaffective patient population or bipolar affective patient population. Studies with other concurrent diagnoses were excluded.Case presentationWe discuss a fifty nine year old male with a history of multiple admissions to a forensic hospital care setting. He initially endorsed a diagnosis of Psychotic disorder NOS which was later changed to schizoaffective disorder during his subsequent admissions. He presented with affective psychotic features where his mood was labile shifting from melancholic to euphoric and a concurrent history of auditory verbal hallucinations. He displayed paranoid non-bizarre persecutory delusions and also alleged that one of his doctors had hated him and put him on Lithium as a form of punishment. He claims that Lithium, as a result, has significantly affected him negatively and also damaged his nerves. This led the authors to explore the significance of use of Lithiumin people with schizoaffective disorders and also bipolar affective disorders. We also discuss the disease course in the patient and his clinical response to use of various psychotropic medications.ConclusionsThe case exemplifies the negative effects of Lithium when used as a mood stabilizer in patient population that is susceptible to its adverse effects due to various factors.


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