Acute And Transient Psychotic Disorders Research Articles

A prospective follow-up study of first-episode acute transient psychotic disorder in Latvia

BackgroundAcute and transient psychotic disorder (ATPD) has been described as an acute psychosis with brief onset and polymorphous symptomatology (WHO, 1993). The study of ATPD is growing increasingly relevant as scientists start an active discussion of the possibility of changing the ATPD classification in the next International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). The aims of this study were to describe the clinical features of the index episode of ATPD in patients in Latvia, to analyse the stability and longitudinal changes of the diagnosis, to explore potential correlations between the sociodemographic and disease characteristics and to describe stressful life events before the first ATPD episode.MethodsA prospective follow-up study of all first-time admitted patients from the Riga Centre of Psychiatry and Addiction Disorders who fulfilled the ICD-10 criteria for ATPD (WHO, 1993) during the 15-month period from 9 January 2010 to 30 March 2011 and followed up until 31 October 2012. Stressful life events, demographics and clinical features during the index episode were assessed.ResultsOne hundred two patients were admitted with first-episode ATPD. The majority were females (60.7%). Over an average 26.5-month follow-up period, 59.8% of the patients were not readmitted. The overall stability rate of ATPD diagnosis in our sample was 67.4% (p = 0.0001). In the subgroup of patients who were readmitted, 70.7% had their diagnosis converted to schizophrenia in subsequent visits. Stressful life events before the first episode were found in 49.0% of first-episode ATPD patients. Thought disorder was found to be the strongest statistically significant predictor of ATPD diagnosis conversation to schizophrenia (odds ratio 4.3), with high Wald's criterion (9.435) in binary logistic regression.ConclusionsATPD is prevalent in Latvia, with rather high overall stability rate. Combining these data from first-episode ATPD patients in Latvia with data from other countries may help predict the development of the disease and provide a basis for potential changes to ICD-11.

EPA-0205 - Functional, socio-demographic and evolutive aspects of acute and transient psychotic disorder compared to paranoid schizophrenia

Acute and transient psychosis, with all its heterogeneous forms, represent a group of psychoses that are still under the process of crystallization, being distinct from the major’typical’ psychoses: schizophrenia and affective disorders. The assessment of functional, socio-biographic and evolutive aspects in a sample of subjects diagnosed with acute and transient psychotic disorder compared to a sample with paranoid schizophrenia. To highlight the significant differences between the two types of pathologies regarding functional, socio-demographic and evolutive aspects. We have selected two samples comprising 41 subjects. The first sample included subjects diagnosed with Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder (ATPD) and the other subjects with Paranoid Schizophrenia. We have assessed the following features: the age of onset, educational level, professional and marital status - at onset and after 5 years of evolution and the total number of hospital admissions during this period. Also, all of the subjects were evaluated at the end of the study with the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. We have found significant differences only regarding educational level and professional status at the end of the study. Also, there were significant differences in terms of the number of hospital admissions during the study period in sense of a favorable balance for those with ATPD diagnosis. The differences between the two diagnosis samples are not as significant as implied by the types of pathologies analyzed. Functional and socio-biographic aspects remain insignificantly different between the two types of psychosis.

Acute and transient psychotic disorder in a developing country

Acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPDs) are relatively under-researched. There is therefore a dearth of information on the disorders especially in developing countries, where they have been shown to be relatively common. To describe the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with ATPD, as well as to examine the factors that are associated with early recovery in patients with ATPD in a developing country. A review of 124 cases of untreated first episode of ATPD that presented at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria over a five-year period. Of the new cases that presented at the psychiatry department of the hospital, 10.1% were ATPDs. There was no significant difference between the proportions of males and females presenting at the hospital (50.8% vs 49.2%). Mean age at presentation was 29.5 (SD = 9.6) years, while the mean duration of illness before presentation was 7.3 (SD = 6.1) days. Female gender was significantly associated with earlier recovery (p = .047). ATPDs are common in developing countries. The epidemiology in developing countries is probably different from that of the developed countries.

Comparison of the Profile of Patients With Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder and Schizophrenia in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital

Acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD) are different from schizophrenia; however, very little research has been done on this disorder in low-income countries, where the incidence is as high as 10 times the incidence in the more developed countries. The authors sought to identify/characterize the sociodemographic and clinical differences between the two disorders by performing a retrospective review of the records of patients with untreated first episode of ATPD and schizophrenia seen at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2010, extracting sociodemographic and clinical data. A group of 243 patients with schizophrenia and 124 subjects with ATPD met the inclusion criteria. Patients with ATPD were more likely to present below the age of 25 years. Excitement was more common in ATPD than in schizophrenia; suspiciousness was more common in subjects with schizophrenia than ATPD. Also, anxiety and uncooperativeness were significantly more likely to occur in ATPD. Poor orientation, disturbance of volition, and preoccupation were more common in schizophrenia. The mean age at onset was similar between patients with schizophrenia and ATPD. In keeping with findings in Europe and North America, there are clinical and sociodemographic differences between ATPD and schizophrenia; however, a different set of features differentiate between the two conditions in Nigerians.

Acute and transient psychotic disorders: An overview of studies in Asia

Acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD), introduced in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) diagnostic system, have not received much attention in Asia. As the World Health Organization (WHO) is in the process of revising the ICD-10 and ICD-11 is expected to be published in the near future, it seems appropriate to review the status of ATPD in this region. A PubMed search using appropriate keywords was conducted to identify literature describing samples from Asian countries with the diagnosis of ATPD for evidence of ATPD as a distinct diagnostic group. A total of 103 papers were found, but only nine publications were specifically related to ATPD and the ICD-10 criteria. The total number of patients receiving a diagnosis of ATPD in these studies was 390. Immigrants appear prone to ATPD, especially foreign domestic workers. When compared to schizophrenia, ATPD as a group had a different family history, course and outcome. However, ATPD was diagnostically unstable over time. A range of 35.5% to 73.3% in Asian patients with baseline ATPD retained their diagnoses over 3–12 years. Most individuals with polymorphic subtypes of ATPD in India and Hong Kong were rediagnosed with bipolar disorder after 3–5 years. In Japan, 31.2% of polymorphic cases were diagnosed as schizophrenia after 12 years of follow-up. This review supports the ICD-10 concept of separating ATPD into its own group; however, polymorphic subtypes may need revision in ICD-11. Before firm suggestions are submitted to the WHO, further research and data review from other regions is necessary.

Acute and transient psychotic disorders versus persistent delusional disorders: A comparative longitudinal study

The aim of this work is to investigate differences between two non-schizophrenic, non-organic psychotic disorders, namely persistent delusional disorders (PDD) and acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD) according to ICD-10. In a prospective and longitudinal study, we compared all 43 inpatients with PDD who were treated at Halle-Wittenberg University Hospital during a 14-year period to a previously investigated cohort of 41 patients with ATPD in regard to demography, long-term symptomatic outcome, and social consequences. Sociobiographical data were collected using a semi-structured interview. Follow-up investigations were performed at a mean of 10-12 years after the onset of the disorder using standardized instruments. With the exception of the duration of the psychotic symptoms, the PDD patients were significantly different from the ATPD patients on various levels, such as sex ratio (female predominance only in ATPD), age at onset (older in PDD), the number of preceding stressful life-events in the index hospitalization (more frequent in ATPD), richness and variety of symptoms (higher in ATPD), and persistence of positive psychotic symptoms (in PDD). Patients with PDD had significantly less re-hospitalizations during the course of their illness. Long-term outcome was marked by chronicity of delusional symptoms and lower global functioning in PDD than in ATPD, while negative symptoms and loss of independence were infrequent in both conditions. PDD differs from ATPD not only in the duration of the psychotic symptoms, but also in a variety of significant variables. They appear to be two separate entities within a psychotic spectrum.

The birth of convulsive therapy revisited: A reappraisal of László Meduna's first cohort of patients

The introduction of convulsive therapy (COT) was undoubtedly one of the milestones in the history of psychiatry. Its originator, László Meduna, has become one of the founding fathers of biological psychiatry. In his first major publication on COT, Meduna described the short-term treatment outcome of the first 26 schizophrenia patients who underwent camphor- or cardiazol-induced COT; 10 improved significantly, 3 appeared slightly improved, and 13 were unimproved. The original medical notes of 23 of the 26 patients were recently recovered and the patients re-diagnosed by the authors employing ICD-10 criteria. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was confirmed in 15 cases (all but two of them involving prominent catatonic symptomatology), while 2 cases met diagnostic criteria for schizoaffective disorder, 3 for Bipolar Affective Disorder (BAD) with psychotic features, 1 for psychotic depression, and 1 for Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder (ATPD). In a final case, the most probable diagnosis was schizophrenia. Scrutiny of the notes revealed that 4 schizophrenia patients evidenced slight improvement on COT and in one case the improvement was only transient. A limitation of this study is that the quality of the original files varied considerably and the re-evaluation was done retrospectively. A very broad concept of schizophrenia in the 1930s explains the discrepancy between the original and the revised results. In line with the current views on the effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy, catatonic symptoms, but not the core schizophrenic process, showed some improvement while all ATPD, BAD and depressed patients responded to COT.

Diagnostic stability over 2 years in patients with acute and transient psychotic disorders

Objective: The nosological entity of acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD) as an independent diagnostic category has become a subject of controversial opinions. The present study aimed to follow-up the diagnostic stability of index episode of ATPD and to examine the influence of clinical and socio-demographic factors on the ATPD prognosis. Method: A sample of 153 (60.1% females; mean age 27.8 ± 8.2) first-admitted patients with ATPD was followed over 2 years. The clinical manifestations, global functioning and quality of life were regularly evaluated during follow-up period. Results: At the end of follow-up, the overall stability rate of ATPD, excluding the cases not readmitted until last assessment, reached 34%. The diagnostic transition was observed in 35.9% of the patients, mostly to schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders. There was a significant deterioration in several clinical and social indicators among the patients who developed schizophrenia, compared with those with stable ATPD, whereas no reliable predictors were found for diagnostic transition to schizophrenia, except younger age, unmarried status and period of the first hospitalization. Conclusion: A sizeable proportion of the patients with initial diagnosis of ATPD is likely to represent early manifestations of schizophrenia-related disorders. In agreement with some previous observations, our study indicates a lack of strong rationale for separating ATPD from other psychotic disorders within the ICD-10 F2 category.

Les troubles psychotiques aigus et transitoires au Burkina Faso : aspects épidémiologiques et cliniques à propos de 188 cas

Acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD) are common in Africa, particularly in Burkina Faso. In order to determine their epidemiological and clinical features in the psychiatry department of the centre hospitalier universitaire Yalgado Ouédraogo, we brought up a retrospective, descriptive and transversal study over 5 years from January 2003 to December 2007. All patients admitted in the psychiatric yard for ATPD were identified through medical records and patient registers. Data analysis was performed with Epi info 2007. During this period, 1106 admissions were registered and 216 had the diagnosis of ATPD. The study included 188 inpatients with complete files, 149 men and 39 women from 13 to 60 years old. This study showed that the point prevalence of ATPD was 19.53%. It mainly affected single men, in early adulthood (28 years on average), living in towns and working in the informal sector. The main diagnosis was acute polymorphic disorder without symptoms of schizophrenia (71.28% of cases). Delusions of persecution were the most common (43% of the themes). Mechanisms were dominated by imaginative ideas (32.62% of the mechanisms), visual and auditory hallucinations. Under medical treatment, main symptoms disappeared and recovery was obtained after an average of 15 days. We discussed the psychopathology of the ATPD in Africa and particularly in Burkina Faso. Considering their heavy socioeconomic and cultural consequences, their management must be improved by a better knowledge of their determinants and evolution.

Elevated Bilirubin in Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder

Mild unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia seems to be more common in patients with disorders from the schizophrenic spectrum than in other psychiatric patients or in the general population and has been linked to brain alterations. This spectrum however contains a number of diagnostic entities that might not share the same etiological and environmental factors. 325 hospital admissions were analysed over a one-year period. We found an association of acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD) with total bilirubin level and rate of elevated total bilirubin that was increased compared to paranoid schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, all patients, and was higher than in the general population. Concomitant increased direct bilirubin might suggest that reduced UGT activity, causing Gilbert's syndrome in the general population, is not the reason for elevated bilirubin in ATPD. The difference between ATPD and schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder might be due to disorder severity, aetiology, or environmental factors that influence enzyme activity.

Incidence and diagnostic stability of ICD-10 acute and transient psychotic disorders

Objective The 10th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases ( ICD-10) introduced a new diagnostic category, F23 acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD) to embrace clinical concepts such as the French bouffée délirante, Kleist and Leonhard's cycloid psychoses, and the Scandinavian reactive and schizophreniform psychoses. The relative rarity of these disorders and insufficient follow-up studies with adequate numbers of patients makes ATPD classification as uncertain as their validity. The aim of this study was to evaluate incidence and validity of ATPD in terms of diagnostic stability. Method A 6-year analysis of readmission patterns of all subjects listed in the Danish psychiatric central register as having been first-ever admitted to hospital or treated in outpatient services with a diagnosis of ATPD from January 1 to December 31, 1996, was conducted. Results The incidence of ATPD was 9.6 per 100 000 population, with a higher rate of females than males (9.8 vs 9.4). Incidence rates by age group were higher for males than for females, with a marked reversal of this pattern above 50 years. This contrasted with incidence of schizophrenia that was almost twice as high in males as in females, particularly in the 20-29 year age group. Of 416 cases with a first-admission diagnosis of ATPD, an increasing number tended to change on subsequent admissions, nearly half to another F2 category schizophrenia and related disorders. The overall stability rate reached only 39%. Conclusions Although demographic differences from schizophrenia are topics that deserve further research, poor diagnostic stability argues against attempts to separate ATPD from borderland disorders.

A preliminary open trial of olanzapine in paediatric acute and transient psychotic disorders

Background:Acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD) have been characterized by the development of florid psychotic symptoms within 2 weeks and complete remission of symptoms. Although there are no definite guidelines, these are usually treated by antipsychotic medication.Aim:This preliminary study examined the effectiveness of olanzapine in paediatric ATPD.Methods:In this 6-week open trial of olanzapine in paediatric ATPD, the patients were rated weekly on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Scale and Dosage Record Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (DOTES).Results:Twenty-three patients (11 males, 12 females; mean age 14.0±1.3 years; range 11–16 years) were included in the study. The mean olanzapine dosage was 12.7±3.9 mg/day (range 5–20 mg/day). All the patients showed significant improvement in 6 weeks. The results showed a significant decrease (p< 0.0001) in scores of BPRS (mean at baseline 46.2±7.0 to 21.4±3.9 at week 6). Severity of illness (CGI) decreased from 4.7±0.8 to 1.6±0.9 in 6 weeks. Also, global improvement (CGI) showed marked improvement in 14 (60.9%), good improvement in 8 (34.8%) and minimal improvement in 1 (4.3%) patient. Some common side-effects were dryness of mouth (n=14, 60.9%), increase in appetite (n=12, 52%), weight gain (n=12, 52%) and drowsiness (n=8, 34.8%). No patient developed extrapyramidal symptoms.Conclusion:Olanzapine was safe and effective in paediatric ATPD.

Is the psychopathology of acute and transient psychotic disorder different from schizophrenic and schizoaffective disorders?

Objective. – This study explores psychopathological aspects of acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD), a diagnostic category introduced with ICD-10, to elucidate its relationship with schizophrenia and schizoaffective psychoses. Methods. – We recruited all consecutive inpatients fulfilling the ICD-10 criteria of ATPD (F23) during a 5-year period as well as control groups with “positive” schizophrenia (PS) and bipolar schizoaffective disorder (BSAD) matched for gender and age at index episode. For the evaluation of psychopathological parameters during index episode a standardized symptom list was used. Prepsychotic (prodromal) symptoms were also assessed. Results. – During the prepsychotic period few differences between the groups were detected. The most important difference between ATPD and the other two other psychotic disorders regarding phenomenology of the full-blown episodes was a higher frequency of “rapidly changing delusional topics”, “rapidly changing mood” and anxiety in ATPD. Conclusion. – ATPD show a characteristic psychopathological picture consistent with earlier concepts such as cycloid psychoses and bouffée délirante. Nevertheless, psychopathology alone is not enough to establish ATPD as an independent nosological entity.

Predicting features of later development of schizophrenia among patients with acute and transient psychotic disorder

It is acknowledged that a considerable proportion of patients who have an episode of acute and transient psychotic disorder (ATPD), will develop schizophrenia after the episode is remitted. If features discriminating the patients who later developed schizophrenia from those who underwent a monomorphous ATPD-only course are discerned, they may be useful for predicting the prognosis. The authors performed a chart review study of those who were hospitalized with the diagnosis of ATPD and followed up thereafter for >5 years and compared two subject groups: 10 later-schizophrenia-developing (SD) patients and 15 non-schizophrenia-developing (non-SD) patients. Assessment of the subjects, conducted by two psychiatrist raters blind to the subject groups, included frequency of ATPD episodes, adaptation levels and life events before admission, and psychiatric symptoms before and after admission. The interrater reliability of the assessment proved to be favorable. As a result, early recurrence of psychotic episodes in the follow-up period, lack of acute upsurge of insomnia in an early phase of the episode and poor premorbid heterosexual relations characterized the SD patients. The result indicated heterogeneity of ATPD episodes.

Features of acute and transient psychotic disorders.

Little is known about acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD), a diagnostic category introduced with ICD-10. To determine the clinical and sociodemographic features, course and outcome of ICD-10 ATPD in a prospective and longitudinal study. We recruited all consecutive inpatients fulfilling the ICD-10 criteria of ATPD during a 5-year period. Demographic and clinical features were systematically evaluated and follow-up investigations were carried out at an average of 10 years after onset of the disorder using standardized instruments. ATPD patients represented 8.5% of all inpatients with non-organic psychotic disorders. ATPD were characterized by female preponderance. In two-thirds of the cases a typical polymorphic symptomatology was found. In spite of the fact that the possibility of relapse within 5 years was high, the psychopathological and social outcome for most of the patients was very favourable. Schizophrenic episodes during follow-up were rare (7.7% of patients), but a strictly monomorphous course (ATPD episodes only) from index episode to the end of the prospective follow-up was found in only 53.9% of the patients. ATPD are not a sharply demarcated and unchanging nosological entity. Nevertheless, the present data support a delineation of ATPD as a diagnostic category with specific clinical features and with a usually favourable prognosis. Further research on the topic is necessary.

Course and outcome of first-admitted patients with acute and transient psychotic disorders (ICD-10:F23). Focus on relapses and social adjustment.

The aim of the present study was to investigate course and outcome of acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD). A sample of 73 first-hospitalized patients was evaluated after three to seven years in order to determine the frequency of relapses and to assess social adjustment. Forty-two percent experienced no relapse, 46% experienced relapses without developing marked deficits in social adjustment and 12% had relapses associated with a severe social impairment. At discharge from first hospitalization the last group was distinguishable from the other two with respect to negative and depressive symptoms as well as the total score of the Strauss-Carpenter scale. Only a minority of first-hospitalized patients with ATPD develop a severe social impairment after three to seven years. This subgroup, however, is not compatible with the concept of a "transient" psychotic disturbance, but rather with an early manifestation of a chronic schizophrenic disorder.

What is schizophrenic in acute and transient psychotic disorder?

Acute and transient psychotic disorder (ATPD) is supposed to differ from schizophrenia, but little research has been done on the subject. In a prospective longitudinal case control study we compared all inpatients with ATPD (ICD-10 F23) treated at Halle University Hospital during a 5-year period with matched controls with "positive" schizophrenia (PS) and with mentally healthy controls. Followup investigations were performed at a mean of 2.2 years after the index episode or 8.2 years after the first episode. Female preponderance in ATPD was marked (78.6%). ATPD and PS patients were similar to each other (but different from healthy controls) in the prevalence of a "broken home" situation and a family history for mental disorders. Compared with PS patients, ATPD patients showed better premorbid social adaptation, and they more often displayed rapidly changing symptoms in the index episode and a negative life event preceding the episode. Despite comparable relapse rates, at followup ATPD patients showed better social adaptation, less psychological impairment, and better global functioning than PS patients. These data support the delineation of ATPD from schizophrenia.

Concordance of Acute and Transient Psychoses and Cycloid Psychoses

Objective: We prospectively investigated a sample of 42 patients with acute and transient psychotic disorder (ATPD) as defined by the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10; F23) to determine the clinical and demographic features of this entity and its relationship to cycloid psychoses. Methods: During a 5-year period, all in-patients with ATPD were identified. We systematically evaluated demographic and clinical features and carried out follow-up investigations on average 2 years after the index episode, using standardised instruments. Results: We found 42 cases of ATPD (4.1%) among 1,036 patients treated for psychotic disorders or a major affective episode. There was a marked female preponderance in ATPD (79%). Fifty-five percent of cases concurrently met the criteria of cycloid psychosis according to Perris and Brockington [in Perris C, Struwe G, Jansson B (eds): Biological Psychiatry. Amsterdam, Elsevier, 1981, pp 447–450]. There was no difference in gender distribution between cycloid and non-cycloid ATPD. As expected, abrupt onset and polymorphic features were significantly more common in cycloid than in non- cycloid ATPD. At follow-up, patients with cycloid ATPD showed less persistent alterations and better social functioning. Conclusion: ATPD as defined by ICD-10 is a heterogeneous category. A diagnosis of cycloid psychosis is made in half of the cases of ATPD, and in these cases, the prognosis is more favourable.

Testing the stress-vulnerability hypothesis in ICD-10-diagnosed acute and transient psychotic disorders.

To examine if family-history-positive (FHP) vis-à-vis family-history-negative (FHN) probands with ICD-10-diagnosed acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD) differ significantly with respect to number of life events and cumulative stress score prior to the onset of ATPD. Forty probands with ICD-10-based clinical diagnosis of acute and transient psychotic disorders were studied with respect to: (a) history of psychiatric disorders in first-degree relatives, and (b) antecedent life events and cumulative stress. The FHP and FHN probands were compared on the latter variables using Mann-Whitney U-test. FHP probands reported significantly less number of total life events compared to FHN probands (P = 0.006). Similarly, FHP probands had significantly less stress score than FHN probands (P = 0.002). There were no significant demographic or clinical differences between the two groups. The findings support the stress-vulnerability hypothesis in the aetiology of ATPD.

Duration of remitting psychoses with acute onset

The acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD) in ICD-10 advanced the nosology of remitting psychoses with acute onset. But the proposed criteria for ATPD--especially in regard to duration--are tentative and need to be validated. To evaluate: (a) the duration of remitting psychoses with acute onset; (b) the applicability of the ATPD criteria for these cases; and (c) differences in duration and ATPD diagnoses across sociocultural settings. Data from the World Health Organization Determinants of Outcome study were used. The 98 cases of remitting psychoses with acute onset had a modal duration of 2-4 months, with 43% falling in this range. Mainly because of this, few met the ATPD criteria. Duration and diagnostic findings were similar across settings. ATPD criteria need refinement, especially in regard to duration. Further studies aimed at early detection and assessment of onset and duration of these disorders are needed.