The high prevalence of bipolar II and associated cyclothymic and hyperthymic temperaments in HIV-patients.

BACKGROUND: Although recent studies have shown high rates of current and lifetime depression in HIV-infected patients, there is little systematic data on the occurrence of bipolarity in these patients. METHOD: We compared 46 HIV patients with index major depressive episode (MDE) to an equal number of age- and sex-matched seronegative MDE patients, and systematically examined rates of DSM-III-R bipolar subtypes (enriched in accordance with Akiskal's system of classifying soft bipolar disorders). RESULTS: Although HIV and psychiatric clinic patients had comparable background in terms of familial affective loading, HIV patients had significantly higher familial rates for alcohol and substance use. The more important finding was the significantly higher proportion of HIV patients with lifetime bipolar II disorder (78%), and associated cyclothymic (52%) and hyperthymic (35%) temperaments; the findings were the same irrespective of HIV risk status (intravenous drug user vs. homosexual and other risk groups combined). LIMITATIONS: The major methodologic limitation of our study is that clinicians evaluating temperament were not blind to affective diagnoses and family history. The comparison affective group was a sample of convenience drawn from the same tertiary care university facility. CONCLUSION: The finding of a high rate of bipolar II disorder in HIV patients has treatment implications for seropositive patients presenting with depression. More provocatively, we submit that premorbid impulsive risk-taking traits associated with cyclothymic and hyperthymic temperaments may have played an important role in needle-sharing drug use and/or unprotected sexual behavior, leading ultimately to infection with HIV. Given their public health importance, these clinical findings and insights merit further investigation. In particular, systematic case-control studies, as well as other large scale studies with prospective methodology need to be conducted.

Psychopathology in 90 consecutive human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive and acquired immune deficiency syndrome patients with mostly intravenous drug use history.

This report presents systematic clinical data regarding psychiatric diagnoses, personal and family psychiatric histories, and symptomatologic aspects of 90 consecutive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, of whom slightly less than two thirds were at risk due to intravenous drug abuse. In addition, a comparison was made between the distribution patterns of these variables at various stages of HIV illness and related at-risk behaviors. Eighty-four percent of the patients met criteria for a spectrum of DSM-III-R diagnoses (mostly affective) that were associated with high rates of affective and alcohol abuse disorders among first-degree relatives. Mood disorders did not differ significantly between the two main groups at risk (intravenous drug users [IVDUs] v others) by gender, age, or stage of illness. The overall data from the rating scales show high levels of psychic and somatic anxiety in the early stages of illness, whereas cognitive symptoms, retardation, and disorientation are dominant in later stages. A noteworthy finding in this study is that many depressed patients demonstrated current and/or past hypomanic, hyperthymic, or cyclothymic features with no evidence of brain damage detectable by computed axial tomography (CAT). These temperamental attributes, which preceded HIV infection, may have served as risk factors for both drug abuse and impulsive sexual behavior in all types of at-risk groups.

Feasibility of pharmacotherapy in HIV-related affective spectrum disorders: an open trial with fluvoxamine.

Among HIV patients treated for AIDS-related adjustment, major depressive disorders and other affective disorders, we assessed in an open study the feasibility of using a serotonergic antidepressant (fluvoxamine). Thirty-five seropositive patients with the above conditions (22 men and 13 women) were followed over a minimum period of four weeks. At the end of the treatment, a large number of patients (77%) showed marked improvement. "Nuclear" depressive and anxiety symptoms remitted, while the "somatic" ones seemed less sensitive to treatment. Treatment had to be terminated prematurely due to side effects in only two patients (6%).

Diagnosis and clinical use of bromperidol in HIV-related psychoses in a sample of seropositive patients with brain damage.

We evaluated in an open trial the safety and effectiveness of a high-potency neuroleptic (bromperidol) for the treatment of AIDS-related organic mental syndromes. Eleven (nine men and two women) seropositive patients with psychotic features were included; six were intravenous drug users (IVDU) and five were not IVDU (NON-IVDU). On the basis of the achievement of a CGI score of 1 or 2 (much improved or very much improved) at the fourth week, nine patients were considered responders, one was a partial responder and one was a non-responder. From a clinical point of view, "positive" psychotic symptoms had a significant remission, while the "negative" ones seemed to be less sensitive or insensitive to bromperidol treatment.