Higher Young Mania Rating Scale Research Articles

Are There Any Differences in Clinical and Biochemical Variables between Bipolar Patients with or without Lifetime Psychotic Symptoms?

Psychotic symptoms occur in more than half of patients affected by Bipolar Disorder (BD) and are associated with an unfavorable course of the disorder. The objective of this study is to identify the differences in the clinical and biochemical parameters between bipolar patients with or without psychotic symptoms. A total of 665 inpatients were recruited. Demographic, clinical, and biochemical data related to the first day of hospitalization were obtained via a screening of the clinical charts and intranet hospital applications. The two groups identified via the lifetime presence of psychotic symptoms were compared using t tests for quantitative variables and χ2 tests for qualitative ones; binary logistic regression models were subsequently performed. Patients with psychotic BD (compared to non-psychotic ones) showed a longer duration of hospitalization (p < 0.001), higher Young Mania Rating Scale scores (p < 0.001), lower Global Assessment of Functioning scores (p = 0.002), a less frequent history of lifetime suicide attempts (p = 0.019), less achievement of remission during the current hospitalization (p = 0.028), and a higher Neutrophile to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) (p = 0.006), but lower total cholesterol (p = 0.018) and triglycerides (p = 0.013). Patients with psychotic BD have a different clinical and biochemical profile compared to their counterparts, characterized by more clinical severity, fewer metabolic alterations, and a higher grade of inflammation. Further multi-center studies have to confirm the results of this present study.

Quantitative detection of methylated SOCS-1 in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder considering SOCS-1 -1478CA/del polymorphism and clinical parameters.

We aimed to investigate the quantitative detection of methylated suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS-1) in schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD), considering SOCS-1 -1478CA/del polymorphism and clinical parameters. Our research is a case-control study in which 114 patients with SCZ, 86 patients with BD, and 80 volunteers as a healthy group participated. Bisulfite-converted DNA samples were analyzed using the real-time quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMS-PCR) method to measure the methylation level of the SOCS-1 gene. In addition, SOCS-1 -1478CA/del gene polymorphism was analyzed with the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). When the SOCS-1 promoter methylation levels of SCZ and BD patients were compared with the control group, the methylation levels of SCZ and BD were significantly lower than the control group. An earlier age of illness onset was significantly related to the SOCS-1 promoter hypermethylation in DNA samples of SCZ patients. Again, SOCS-1 promoter hypermethylation was significantly associated with the higher Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) score in BD patients. While the SOCS-1 CA/CA genotype frequency was significantly higher in the control group than in the BD group, the del/del genotype was significantly related to a higher frequency of rapid cycling and a lower frequency of family history in the BD patient group. In summary, the methylated SOCS-1 quantity in DNA samples of SCZ and BD patients were significantly lower than in control samples. Whereas the SOCS-1 -1478CA/del polymorphism was not related to SCZ, it may be associated with the BD.

Clinical Impact of Psychopathy on Bipolar Disorder.

Background and Objectives. Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with a significant burden due to affective symptoms and behavioral manifestations, but also cognitive and functional impairment. Comorbidity with other psychiatric conditions, including personality disorders, is frequent. The comorbidity with psychopathy deserves special consideration given that both disorders share some clinical characteristics, such as grandiosity, risky behavior or poor insight, among others, that can worsen the outcome of BD. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of psychopathy in a sample of clinically stabilized patients with BD and its impact on the severity of BD. Materials and Methods. A sample of 111 patients with BD (38 type I and 73 type II) was studied. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) served to assess the severity of BD. Psychopathy was measured by means of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R). Patients were divided into three groups according to the severity of psychopathy (Group 1: no psychopathy; Group 2: “psychopathic” trait; Group 3: clinical psychopathy). Other measures regarded impulsiveness (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11, BIS-11) and empathy (Empathy Quotient, EQ). Comparisons of mania, depression, impulsivity and empathy scores were run with MANOVA considering psychopathy and diagnosis as independent variables. Results. The prevalence of psychopathy was 5.4%. A significant association between the level of psychopathy and YMRS, attentional/cognitive impulsivity and motor impulsivity scores emerged. No interaction between psychopathy and BD diagnosis was found. Post hoc analysis demonstrated significantly higher YMRS scores in Group 3 than in Group 1; that is, patients with psychopathy have more manic symptoms. Conclusion. Psychopathy seems quite frequent among patients with BD. The association of psychopathy with BD results in higher impulsivity and manic symptoms. In light of this, psychopathy should be investigated when assessing patients with BD, regardless of the comorbidity of BD with other personality disorders.

Clinical and demographic differences between patients with manic, depressive and schizophrenia-spectrum psychoses presenting to Early Intervention Services in London.

To investigate the relationship between the presenting clinical and demographic characteristics in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients with their clinical diagnostic grouping 1 year later. Data from 1014 first-presentation psychosis patients from seven London-based Early Intervention Services were extracted from the MiData audit database. Associations between clinical and demographic measures at presentation and clinical diagnosis made at 1 year were assessed with analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Chi-square tests. The sample comprised 76% of patients with schizophrenia-spectrum diagnoses, 9% with manic psychoses (MP) and 6% with depressive psychoses. Compared to the other 2 groups, patients who were diagnosed as having MP were younger, with higher education and shorter duration of untreated psychosis, and had higher Young Mania Rating Scale scores at presentation and lower Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) negative scores. Patients diagnosed at 1 year as having depressive psychosis were older and more likely to be white, with the lowest PANSS positive scores at baseline. Patients diagnosed at 1 year as having schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses were more likely to be males. Patients in the 3 diagnostic subgroups of psychosis differed on both clinical and demographic characteristics at presentation. There were significant clinical and demographic differences at presentation between FEP patients who received different clinical diagnoses at 1 year. Future work should determine the extent to which these differences can be used to guide clinical care.

Broadening bipolar diagnostic criteria: why not start with hypomania?

Broadening bipolar diagnostic criteria: why not start with hypomania?