ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Converging evidence supports the involvement of circadian rhythm disturbances in the course and morbidity of bipolar disorders (BD). During 2020, lockdown measures were introduced worldwide to contain the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, chronobiological rhythms were critically disrupted and illness outcomes were expected to worsen. The current study aimed to explore changes in morbidity among BD patients living under lockdown. METHODS: Ninety BD outpatients under naturalistic treatment conditions were followed from March to September 2020 using a mood chart technique. Different treatment and illness variables, including mood instability, were assessed and compared with the outcomes obtained during the same 28-week period in 2019. RESULTS: For most clinical variables, no significant differences were observed between time periods. A slight decrease was found in symptom intensity (from 15.19 ± 20.62 to 10.34 ± 15.79, FDR-adjusted p = 0.04) and in the number of depressive episodes (from 0.39 ± 0.74 to 0.22 ± 0.63, FDR-adjusted p = 0.03), whereas the intensity of pharmacological treatment remained unchanged. Previous illness course predicted mood outcomes during the confinement. LIMITATIONS: Follow-up periods were relatively short. Further, actigraphy or other methods capable of ensuring significant changes in physical activity were not used. CONCLUSIONS: In line with other studies, our findings show no worsening in the clinical morbidity of BD patients during lockdown. This conspicuous contrast between our initial predictions and the observed findings highlights the fact that we are still far from being able to provide accurate predictive models for BD.
Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder , Humans , Bipolar Disorder/diagnosis , Pandemics , Affect , Circadian Rhythm , OutpatientsABSTRACT
Lithium is an alkaline metal, used for more than 60 years in psychiatry, and currently considered the gold standard in the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD). According to recent evidence, this active ingredient is useful for the treatment of a wide spectrum of clinical varieties of affective disorders. In addition, it is estimated that lithium reduces the risk of suicide and suicidal behavior in people with mood disorders. On the other hand, some novel studies have shown that the cation has a potential efficacy for the treatment of other neuropsychiatric processes, such as the likelihood of reducing the risk of dementia and slowing down the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the enormous evidence in favor of the use of lithium, it is known that, in Argentina, medications containing it are prescribed less than expected. In view of all this, the Asociación Argentina de Psiquiatría Biológica (Argentine Association of Biological Psychiatry) (AAPB or AABP) convened a group of experts to review the available scientific literature and prepare an updated document on the management and use of lithium in neuropsychiatry. In addition to the use of the ion in daily clinical practice, the scope of this review includes other contents that have been considered of interest for the psychiatrist, such as certain pharmacological and pharmacogenetic aspects, possible clinical predictors of response to treatment with lithium, management of ion during perinatal period, management of lithium in child and adolescent population, management of adverse effects linked to cation and interactions with drugs and other substances.
El litio es un metal alcalino, usado hace más de 60 años en psiquiatría, y actualmente es considerado el estándar de oro en el tratamiento del trastorno bipolar (TB). De acuerdo con la evidencia reciente, este principio activo es útil para el tratamiento de un amplio espectro de variedades clínicas de los trastornos afectivos. Además, se estima que desde hace tiempo el litio reduce el riesgo de suicidio y de comportamiento suicida en personas con trastornos del estado de ánimo. Por otro lado, algunos estudios novedosos han demostrado que el catión posee una potencial eficacia para el tratamiento de otros procesos neuropsiquiátricos, tales como la probabilidad de disminuir el riesgo de demencia y la de ralentizar el desarrollo de enfermedades neurodegenerativas. A pesar de la enorme evidencia a favor de la utilización del litio, se sabe que, en la Argentina, las especialidades medicinales que lo contienen se prescriben menos de lo esperado. En virtud de todo lo mencionado, la Asociación Argentina de Psiquiatría Biológica (AAPB) convocó a un grupo de expertos para revisar la literatura científica disponible y elaborar un documento actualizado sobre el manejo y el uso del litio en neuropsiquiatría. Además de la utilización del ion en la práctica clínica diaria, el alcance de esta revisión incluye otros contenidos que se han considerado de interés para el médico psiquiatra, tales como ciertos aspectos farmacológicos y farmacogenéticos, posibles predictores clínicos de la respuesta al tratamiento con litio, el manejo del ion durante el período perinatal, el manejo de litio en la población infantojuvenil, el manejo de los efectos adversos vinculados con el catión y las interacciones con medicamentos y otras sustancias.
ABSTRACT
This document constitutes the third and last part of the Third Argentine Consensus on the Management of Bipolar Disorders carried out by the Argentine Association of Biological Psychiatry (AAPB). Continuing with the initial objective, this section of the Consensus on the Management of Bipolar Disorders is focused on the management of bipolar disorders in special populations. This section constitutes a comprehensive review and expert consideration of the scientific evidence on: a) the management of bipolar disorders in treatment-resistant patients; b) the management of bipolar disorder in childhood and adolescence; c) the management of bipolar disorders in women during their perinatal period and, d) the management of bipolar disorders in older adults.
Este documento constituye la tercera y última parte del Tercer Consenso Argentino sobre el Manejo de los Trastornos Bipolares llevada a cabo por la Asociación Argentina de Psiquiatría Biológica (AAPB). Siguiendo con el objetivo propuesto por el comité de expertos, en la actual versión del Consenso sobre el manejo de los trastornos bipolares, esta sección está enfocada al abordaje de los Trastornos Bipolares en situaciones especiales. Esto configura una revisión exhaustiva de la evidencia científica sobre: a) el manejo de los trastornos bipolares en pacientes resistentes al tratamiento, b) el manejo de los trastornos bipolares en la mujer en el período perinatal, c) el manejo del trastorno bipolar en la etapa infantojuvenil y d) el manejo de los trastornos bipolares en los adultos mayores.
Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder , Pregnancy , Female , Humans , Consensus , Argentina , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
This document constitutes the second section B of the Third Argentine Consensus on the Management of Bipolar Disorders, focused on synthesizing the most updated evidence on therapeutic approaches for adult patients. The scope of this section is to provide therapeutic recommendations for managing bipolar disorders in adults, (i) acute mania (ii) bipolar depression (iii) mixed stated (iv) suicidality and (vi) psychological interventions. In addition, the current manuscript outlines the assessment and management of side effects of pharmacotherapeutic treatments.
Este documento constituye la segunda parte B del Tercer Consenso Argentino sobre el Manejo de los Trastornos Bipolares llevada a cabo por la Asociación Argentina de Psiquiatría Biológica (AAPB). Siguiendo con el direccionamiento iniciado en el parte 2A sobre el tratamiento integral de los trastornos bipolares, esta sección se ha enfocado en sintetizar la evidencia más actualizada sobre abordajes terapéuticos para pacientes adultos. El alcance de esta sección es proporcionar recomendaciones terapéuticas para el manejo de los trastornos bipolares en adultos, (i) manía aguda, (ii) depresión bipolar, (iii) estado mixto, (iv) el suicidio en el trastorno bipolar, (v) intervenciones psicológicas. Además, el presente manuscrito aborda la evaluación y el manejo de los efectos secundarios de los tratamientos farmacoterapéuticos.
Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder , Humans , Consensus , Argentina , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
This document constitutes the second section A of the Third Argentine Consensus on the Management of Bipolar Disorders, focused on synthesizing the most updated evidence on therapeutic approaches for adult patients. The aim of this section (2A) is to provide therapeutic recommendations for managing bipolar disorders in adults. In addition, the scope of this current manuscript outlines recommendations on the use of treatment guidelines, levels of evidence available to support these recommendations, general considerations for the treatment of bipolar disorders, the so-called pseudoresistance and adherence to treatment, general considerations on psychological therapies, as well as long term treatment of bipolar disorders.
Este documento corresponde a la segunda parte del Tercer Consenso Argentino sobre el manejo de los trastornos bipolares, enfocada en sintetizar la evidencia actualizada sobre los abordajes terapéuticos de esta patología en los pacientes adultos. Siguiendo la metodología descripta en la primera parte del Consenso, el panel de expertos realizó una exhaustiva revisión de la bibliografía y, como consecuencia de un posterior debate sobre la información disponible, se generó esta sección A del segundo documento que abarca el tratamiento integral de las personas adultas que padecen este trastorno. Durante la etapa de debate y discusión de estas guías, se decidió incorporar algunos puntos que estimamos serán de gran utilidad para el equipo interdisciplinario encargado del manejo de pacientes con trastornos bipolares. En tal sentido, en la sección A de la segunda parte de este documento, se podrán encontrar las recomendaciones generales para el uso de las guías de tratamiento, los niveles de evidencia disponibles para sustentar las recomendaciones, las consideraciones generales del tratamiento de los trastornos bipolares, el fenómeno de pseudorresistencia y adherencia al tratamiento, las consideraciones generales sobre el abordaje psicológico, así como el tratamiento a largo plazo de los trastornos bipolares.
Subject(s)
Antipsychotic Agents , Bipolar Disorder , Adult , Humans , Bipolar Disorder/drug therapy , Antipsychotic Agents/therapeutic useABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although a large variety of antidepressants agents (AD) with different mechanisms of action are available, no significant differences in efficacy and safety have been shown. However, there have been few attempts to incorporate data on subjective experiences under different AD. METHOD: We conducted a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the posts from the website www.askapatient.com from different AD. We reviewed a random sample of 1000 posts. RESULT: After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we included a final sample of 450 posts, 50 on each of the most used AD: sertraline, citalopram, paroxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, venlafaxine, duloxetine, mirtazapine, and bupropion. Bupropion, citalopram, and venlafaxine had the higher overall satisfaction ratings. Sertraline, paroxetine, and fluoxetine had high reports of emotional blunting, while bupropion very few. Overall satisfaction with AD treatment was inversely associated with the presence of the following side-effects: suicidality, irritability, emotional blunting, cognitive disturbances, and withdrawal symptoms. After adjusting for confounders, only emotional blunting was shown to be more frequently reported by users of serotonergic agents, as compared to non-serotoninergic agents. CONCLUSION: This research points out that the subjective experience of patients under treatment should be taken into consideration when selecting an AD as differences between agents were evident. In contrast to the more frequent treatment decisions, users might prefer receiving a non-serotoninergic agent over a serotonergic one due to their lower propensity to produce emotional blunting.
Subject(s)
Citalopram , Paroxetine , Humans , Venlafaxine Hydrochloride/adverse effects , Fluoxetine/adverse effects , Bupropion/adverse effects , Sertraline , Antidepressive Agents/adverse effectsABSTRACT
The Third Argentine Consensus on the management of bipolar disorders (TB) is an initiative of the Argentine Association of Biological Psychiatry (AAPB). As a reference document, this consensus pursues two main objectives: on the one hand, to summarize and systematize the best available evidence on the comprehensive management of this pathology; on the other, to provide a useful, up-to-date instrument for psychiatrists, multidisciplinary teams dedicated to mental health, and government agencies. During a period of approximately six months of work -that is, from May to October 2022- a committee of experts made up of 18 professionals and representatives of the three most important Psychiatry and Mental Health associations in Argentina (that is, the AAPB, the Argentine Association of Psychiatrists, AAP, and the Association of Argentine Psychiatrists, APSA) have focused on updating the information regarding TB. Finally, this document was prepared as a result of an exhaustive review of the bibliography published to date, which was strategically divided into three parts: the first deals with the generalities of TB; the second deals with the comprehensive treatment of the pathology; finally, the third analyzes TB in the context of special situations.
El Tercer Consenso Argentino sobre el manejo de los Trastornos Bipolares (TB) es una iniciativa de la Asociación Argentina de Psiquiatría Biológica (AAPB). Como documento de referencia, este consenso persigue dos objetivos principales: por un lado, resumir y sistematizar la mejor evidencia disponible sobre el manejo integral de esta patología; por el otro, proporcionar un instrumento útil y actualizado a psiquiatras, a equipos multidisciplinarios abocados a la salud mental y a organismos gubernamentales. Durante un período de aproximadamente seis meses de trabajo -desde mayo a octubre de 2022- un comité de expertos integrado por 18 profesionales y por representantes de las tres asociaciones de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental más importantes de la Argentina: la AAPB, la Asociación Argentina de Psiquiatras, (AAP) y la Asociación de Psiquiatras Argentinos (APSA), se abocaron a actualizar la información respecto de los TB. Finalmente, y como resultado de una exhaustiva revisión de la bibliográfica publicada hasta la actualidad, se confeccionó este documento que fue dividido estratégicamente en tres partes: la primera versa acerca de las generalidades del TB; la segunda aborda el tratamiento integral de la patología; y, por último, la tercera analiza los TB en el contexto de situaciones especiales.
Subject(s)
Antipsychotic Agents , Bipolar Disorder , Humans , Bipolar Disorder/drug therapy , Antipsychotic Agents/therapeutic use , Consensus , ArgentinaABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: One of the most significant indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will be seen on the mental health of the population. On this study, we will take into account the adapting capacity that the most representative mental health services (MHS) of Buenos Aires (BA) City have had as to this new situation. METHODS: We designed an online survey including 10 self-administered closed questions, strictly anonymous. It has been sent to targeted professionals who work in public and private MHS of BA after 2 months of the beginning of the lockdown. RESULTS: We got 38 answers. 2 professionals rejected to answer. 34% belonged to private institutions and 66% to public ones. 81% of the total were able to implement online assistance but only 24% had been trained on how to treat patients in this context. 69% of the private and 12% of the public sector professionals informed to have been trained on telemedicine tools. 69% of the private and 36% of the public sector professionals informed to have prepared materials for the users on telemedicine resources. 68% mentioned that their service was properly organized. 40% of the public sector professionals may have been reassigned to work on tasks related to the pandemic. 40% of the total informed a reduced capacity of assistance. CONCLUSIONS: The MHS of BA may have been able to migrate their assistance to telemedicine, however we have noticed differences in the training levels. A better capacity of training on this modality might be needed.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Pandemics , Communicable Disease Control , Humans , Mental Health , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Treatments for depression in bipolar disorder (BD) are far less well developed than for unipolar major depressive disorder. Several innovative and experimental approaches have been emerging recently, including use of the dissociative anesthetic ketamine and other antagonists of central NMDA glutamate receptors, as well as unsaturated fatty acids, anti-inflammatory agents, and possibly probiotic methods. METHOD: We reviewed relevant reports from the past decade. FINDINGS: Ketamine, a phencyclidine-like NMDA-glutamate receptor antagonist, has emerged as a highly innovative, experimental treatment for treatment-resistant unipolar major depression, possibly in bipolar depression, and with brief antisuicidal effects. Its limitations include poor bioavailability, rapid but short-lived effects, and little information about long-term benefits and safety of repeated administration. Polyunsaturated fatty acids critical for the structure and functioning of neuronal and other cell membranes have some evidence of benefit as experimental treatments for depression including in BD. There also is evidence of altered expression of peptides associated with inflammation in mood disorder patients, encouraging experimental treatment with anti-inflammatory agents; of these, the COX-II inhibitor celecoxib has shown some evidence of benefit. The concept of altering intestinal flora with probiotic treatments to treat mood disorders remains speculative. CONCLUSION: Ketamine represents an innovative, rapidly acting, experimental treatment for bipolar depression with practical limitations. Unsaturated fatty acids and anti-inflammatory agents have inconsistent support; probiotic treatments lack evidence. These innovative approaches require much more clinical investigation.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use , Bipolar Disorder/drug therapy , Fatty Acids/therapeutic use , Ketamine/therapeutic use , Probiotics/therapeutic use , Animals , HumansABSTRACT
Current publications that analyze operational and epidemiologic variables in the Argentinian Mental Health System are scarce. Several international studies have found a correlation between substance abuse and suicidal behavior. However, to our knowledge, there are no local studies that verify this association, especially in hospitalized female patients. The aim of this study is to verify this association in a population of female patients hospitalized in a Mental Health Hospital between august 2007 and july 2013. The electronic database of the Emergency department of the "Braulio A. Moyano" Neuropsychiatric Hospital was used as secondary source. The correlation between problematic substance use and history of suicidal behavior was studied, according to the type of substance used, diagnosis and age of the sample. These results might allow the creation of hypotheses that may benefit the planning and clinical practice in mental health in the local area.
