BACKGROUND: Lithium is still regarded as a cornerstone for the long-term treatment of bipolar disorder. The best response to lithium is associated with clinical features of episodic clinical course, complete remission, bipolar family history and low psychiatric comorbidity. However, a specific personality profile for the best lithium response was not estimated so far. Such a possibility occurred with an advent of temperament scale for bipolar disorder and of an ability to quantitatively assess lithium prophylactic response. METHODS: The study was performed on 71 patients with bipolar mood disorder (21 males, 50 females), aged 31-82 (59±12) years, which have been treated with lithium carbonate for at least 5 years (5-37 years, mean 15 years). In all patients, the assessment of five temperaments of TEMPS-A scale (depressive, cyclothymic, hyperthymic, irritable and anxious) was done, and correlated with the quality of lithium prophylaxis according to Alda scale. RESULTS: The mean scores for five temperaments of TEMPS-A were not significantly different in male and female patients. The response to lithium correlated significantly positively with hyperthymic temperament score (r=0.31, p=0.009), and negatively with anxiety (r=-0.27, p=0.022), cyclothymic (r=-0.26, p=0.032), and depressive (r=-0.23, p=0.052) temperaments scores. LIMITATIONS: Relatively small number of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The main finding of the study is an association of lithium response with hyperthymic temperament. This positive correlation as well as other negative correlations between lithium response and TEMPS-A temperaments are discussed in view of clinical and genetic findings in bipolar patients.
BACKGROUND:Lithium is still regarded as a cornerstone for the long-term treatment of bipolar disorder. The best response to lithium is associated with clinical features of episodic clinical course, complete remission, bipolar family history and low psychiatric comorbidity. However, a specific personality profile for the best lithium response was not estimated so far. Such a possibility occurred with an advent of temperament scale for bipolar disorder and of an ability to quantitatively assess lithium prophylactic response. METHODS: The study was performed on 71 patients with bipolar mood disorder (21 males, 50 females), aged 31-82 (59±12) years, which have been treated with lithium carbonate for at least 5 years (5-37 years, mean 15 years). In all patients, the assessment of five temperaments of TEMPS-A scale (depressive, cyclothymic, hyperthymic, irritable and anxious) was done, and correlated with the quality of lithium prophylaxis according to Alda scale. RESULTS: The mean scores for five temperaments of TEMPS-A were not significantly different in male and female patients. The response to lithium correlated significantly positively with hyperthymic temperament score (r=0.31, p=0.009), and negatively with anxiety (r=-0.27, p=0.022), cyclothymic (r=-0.26, p=0.032), and depressive (r=-0.23, p=0.052) temperaments scores. LIMITATIONS: Relatively small number of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The main finding of the study is an association of lithium response with hyperthymic temperament. This positive correlation as well as other negative correlations between lithium response and TEMPS-A temperaments are discussed in view of clinical and genetic findings in bipolarpatients.
Authors: Tiffany A Greenwood; Judith A Badner; William Byerley; Paul E Keck; Susan L McElroy; Ronald A Remick; A Dessa Sadovnick; Hagop S Akiskal; John R Kelsoe Journal: J Affect Disord Date: 2013-06-10 Impact factor: 4.839
Authors: M Fornaro; B Stubbs; D De Berardis; F Iasevoli; M Solmi; N Veronese; A Carano; G Perna; A De Bartolomeis Journal: Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health Date: 2016-12-23