Serum Levels of Zinc, Albumin, Interleukin-6 and CRP in Patients with Unipolar and Bipolar Depression: Cross Sectional Study.

Unipolar (UD) and bipolar depression (BDD) show a high degree of similarity in clinical presentations, which complicates the differential diagnosis of these disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin (Alb), and zinc (Zn) in patients with UD, BDD, and healthy controls (HC). A total of 211 samples were collected: 131 patient samples (65 UD and 68 BDD) and 80 HC. The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), along with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), were administered to patient groups to evaluate symptoms. A cross-sectional study was performed to analyse the serum levels of IL-6, CRP, albumin, and zinc. The concentration of CRP was determined using the immunoturbidimetry method, zinc using the colorimetric method, and albumin using the colorimetric method with bromocresol green on the Alinity c device. IL-6 cytokine concentration in serum samples was ascertained using a commercial enzyme immunoassay, ELISA. We found no significant differences in serum concentrations of zinc, albumin, CRP, and IL-6 between the groups of patients with unipolar and bipolar depression. There was a significant statistical difference (p < 0.001) between serum levels of all investigated parameters in both groups of depressed patients in comparison with HC. Furthermore, correlations with specific items on HAMD-17; (namely, hypochondrias, work and activities, somatic symptoms-general, and weight loss) and on MADRS (concentration difficulties, lassitude) were observed in both patient groups. These findings confirm the presence of low-grade inflammation in depression, thus adding better insight into the inflammation hypothesis directed to explain the aetiology of depressive disorders. Our results do not indicate potential biomarkers for distinguishing between unipolar and bipolar depression.

Distinguishing bipolar depression, bipolar mania, and major depressive disorder by gut microbial characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Gut microbial disturbance has been widely confirmed in mood disorders. However, little is known about whether gut microbial characteristics can distinguish major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar depression (BP-D), and bipolar mania (BP-M). METHODS: This was a prospective case-control study. The composition of gut microbiota was profiled using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing of fecal samples and compared between healthy controls (HC; n = 46), MDD (n = 51), BP-D (n = 44), and patients with BP-M (n = 45). RESULTS: Gut microbial compositions were remarkably changed in the patients with MDD, BP-D, and BP-M. Compared to HC, distinct gut microbiome signatures were found in MDD, BP-D, and BP-M, and some gut microbial changes were overlapping between the three mood disorders. Furthermore, we identified a signature of 7 operational taxonomic units (OUT; Prevotellaceae-related OUT22, Prevotellaceae-related OUT31, Prevotellaceae-related OTU770, Ruminococcaceae-related OUT70, Bacteroidaceae-related OTU1536, Propionibacteriaceae-related OTU97, Acidaminococcaceae-related OTU34) that can distinguish patients with MDD from those with BP-D, BP-M, or HC, with area under the curve (AUC) values ranging from 0.910 to 0.996. CONCLUSION: Our results provide the clinical rationale for the discriminative diagnosis of MDD, BP-D, and BP-M by characteristic gut microbial features.

Anhedonia in bipolar depression treated with ketamine.

BACKGROUND: Bipolar depression is the major cause of morbidity in patients with bipolar disorder. It affects psychosocial functioning and markedly impairs occupational productivity. Anhedonia is one of the most debilitating symptoms of depression contributing to treatment resistance. It correlates with suicidality, low quality of life, social withdrawal, and poor treatment response. Currently, there is no approved treatment specifically targeting anhedonia. Emerging evidence suggests that ketamine possesses anti-anhedonic properties in individuals with depression. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this naturalistic open-label study was to investigate the effect of add-on ketamine treatment on anhedonia in treatment resistant bipolar depression. METHODS: Our main interest was the change in patient-reported (Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale) and rater-based anhedonia measure (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale-anhedonia subscale). The secondary aim was to analyze the score change in three Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report (IDS-SR) domains: mood/cognition, anxiety/somatic, and sleep. Patients underwent assessments at several time points, including baseline, after the third, fifth, and seventh ketamine infusions. Additionally, a follow-up assessment was conducted 1 week following the final ketamine administration. RESULTS: We found improvement in anhedonia symptoms according to both patient-reported and rater-based measures. The improvement in IDS-SR domains was most prominent in anxiety/somatic factor and mood/cognition factor, improvement in sleep factor was not observed. No serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSION: Add-on ketamine seems to be a good choice for the treatment of anhedonia in treatment resistant bipolar depression. It also showed a good effect in reducing symptoms of anxiety in this group of patients. Considering unmet needs and the detrimental effect of anhedonia and anxiety, more studies are needed on ketamine treatment in resistant bipolar depression.

Hippocampal Dynamic Functional Connectivity, HPA Axis Activity, and Personality Trait in Bipolar Disorder with Suicidal Attempt.

INTRODUCTION: Suicide in bipolar disorder (BD) is a multifaceted behavior, involving specific neuroendocrine and psychological mechanisms. According to previous studies, we hypothesized that suicidal BD patients may exhibit impaired dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) variability of hippocampal subregions and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, which may be associated with suicide-related personality traits. The objective of our study was to clarify this. METHODS: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained from 79 patients with BD, 39 with suicidal attempt (SA), and 40 without SA, and 35 healthy controls (HCs). The activity of the HPA axis was assessed by measuring morning plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol (CORT) levels. All participants underwent personality assessment using Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2). RESULTS: BD patients with SA exhibited increased dFC variability between the right caudal hippocampus and the left superior temporal gyrus (STG) when compared with non-SA BD patients and HCs. BD with SA also showed significantly lower ACTH levels in comparison with HCs, which was positively correlated with increased dFC variability between the right caudal hippocampus and the left STG. BD with SA had significantly higher scores of Hypochondriasis, Depression, and Schizophrenia than non-SA BD. Additionally, multivariable regression analysis revealed the interaction of ACTH × dFC variability between the right caudal hippocampus and the left STG independently predicted MMPI-2 score (depression evaluation) in suicidal BD patients. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that suicidal BD exhibited increased dFC variability of hippocampal-temporal cortex and less HPA axis hyperactivity, which may affect their personality traits.

Real-world case series of maintenance theta burst stimulation therapy following response to acute theta burst stimulation therapy for difficult-to-treat depression.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment and management for difficult-to-treat depression are challenging, especially in a subset of patients who are at high risk for relapse and recurrence. The conditions that represent this subset are recurrent depressive disorder (RDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). In this context, we aimed to examine the effectiveness of maintenance transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on a real-world clinical basis by retrospectively extracting data from the TMS registry data in Tokyo, Japan. METHODS: Data on patients diagnosed with treatment-resistant RDD and BD who received maintenance intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) weekly after successful treatment with acute iTBS between March 2020 and October 2023 were extracted from the registry. RESULTS: All patients (21 cases: 10 cases with RDD and 11 cases with BD) could sustain response, and 19 of them further maintained remission. In this study, maintenance iTBS did not exacerbate depressive symptoms in any of the cases, but may rather have the effect of stabilizing the mental condition and preventing recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: This case series is of great clinical significance because it is the first study to report on the effectiveness of maintenance iTBS for RDD and BD, with a follow-up of more than 2 years. Further validation with a randomized controlled trial design with a larger sample size is warranted.

Sex differences in anhedonia in bipolar depression: a resting-state fMRI study.

Previous studies about anhedonia symptoms in bipolar depression (BD) ignored the unique role of gender on brain function. This study aims to explore the regional brain neuroimaging features of BD with anhedonia and the sex differences in these patients. The resting-fMRI by applying fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) method was estimated in 263 patients with BD (174 high anhedonia [HA], 89 low anhedonia [LA]) and 213 healthy controls. The effects of two different factors in patients with BD were analyzed using a 3 (group: HA, LA, HC) × 2 (sex: male, female) ANOVA. The fALFF values were higher in the HA group than in the LA group in the right medial cingulate gyrus and supplementary motor area. For the sex-by-group interaction, the fALFF values of the right hippocampus, left medial occipital gyrus, right insula, and bilateral medial cingulate gyrus were significantly higher in HA males than in LA males but not females. These results suggested that the pattern of high activation could be a marker of anhedonia symptoms in BD males, and the sex differences should be considered in future studies of BD with anhedonia symptoms.

Latent profile analysis of vitamin D and its association with depression severity of hospitalized patients with bipolar depression.

OBJECTIVE: Vitamin D is thought to be deficient in patients with bipolar disorder. The purpose of this study is to use latent profile analysis to identify the patterns of vitamin D levels in patients with episodes of bipolar depression, and to examine the relationship among these latent profiles and demographic and clinical characteristics. METHODS: A total of 149 patients diagnosed with bipolar depression were selected in Guangzhou, China. Depression was evaluated by Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels tested at baseline and after two weeks of psychiatric treatment were included in the latent profile analysis to identify subgroups. P-trend analysis was used to assess the association between subgroups and depression improvement. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to assess the influencing factors of subgroups. RESULTS: A three-profiles solution was found to demonstrate the best fit [low-level profile (32.9%), medium-level profile (51.0%), and high-level profile (16.1%)]. There was a significant nonlinear relationship between depression improvement and vitamin D high-level profile, compared to medium-level profile (P for trend <0.05). In multinomial logistic regression analysis, baseline and post-treatment SDS scores, admission season, age, and body mass index significantly affect the profile membership. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that individuals with high levels of vitamin D showed a significant improvement in depression severity. However, those with low levels of vitamin D remained deficient, indicating a need for targeted vitamin D supplementation. Our findings may provide valuable insights for designing tailored vitamin D supplement interventions to address vitamin D deficiency in bipolar depression.

Peripheral biomarkers to differentiate bipolar depression from major depressive disorder: a real-world retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Bipolar depression (BPD) is often misdiagnosed as a major depressive disorder (MDD) in clinical practice, which may be attributed to a lack of robust biomarkers indicative of differentiated diagnosis. This study analysed the differences in various hormones and inflammatory markers to explore peripheral biomarkers that differentiate BPD from MDD patients. METHODS: A total of 2,048 BPD and MDD patients were included. A panel of blood tests was performed to determine the levels of sex hormones, stress hormones, and immune-related indicators. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to control for the effect of potential confounders between two groups and further a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyse the potential biomarkers for differentiating BPD from MDD. RESULTS: Compared to patients with MDD, patients with BPD expressed a longer duration of illness, more hospitalisations within five years, and an earlier age of onset, along with fewer comorbid psychotic symptoms. In terms of biochemical parameters, MDD patients presented higher IgA and IgM levels, while BPD patients featured more elevated neutrophil and monocyte counts. ROC analysis suggested that combined biological indicators and clinical features could moderately distinguish between BPD and MDD. In addition, different biological features exist in BPD and MDD patients of different ages and sexes. CONCLUSIONS: Differential peripheral biological parameters were observed between BPD and MDD, which may be age-sex specific, and a combined diagnostic model that integrates clinical characteristics and biochemical indicators has a moderate accuracy in distinguishing BPD from MDD.

Cannabidiol as an Adjunctive Treatment for Acute Bipolar Depression: A Pilot Study: Le cannabidiol comme traitement d'appoint de la dépression bipolaire aiguë : une étude pilote.

OBJECTIVE: The treatment of bipolar depression remains challenging due to the limited effective and safe therapeutic options available; thus, developing newer treatments that are effective and well tolerable is an urgent unmet need. The objective of the present trial was to test 150 to 300 mg/day of cannabidiol as an adjunctive treatment for bipolar depression. METHOD: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study to assess the efficacy of adjunctive cannabidiol in bipolar depression was used. Efficacy parameters were changes in the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) from baseline to week 8. Secondary outcomes included response and remission rates, changes in anxiety and psychotic symptoms, and changes in functioning. Patients continued double-blind treatment until week 12 to monitor for adverse effects, laboratory analysis, and manic symptoms. Study registry: NCT03310593. RESULTS: A total of 35 participants were included. MADRS scores significantly decreased from baseline to the endpoint (placebo, -14.56; cannabidiol, -15.38), but there was no significant difference between the groups. Similarly, there were no other significant effects on the secondary outcomes. However, an exploratory analysis showed a significant effect of cannabidiol 300 mg/day in reducing MADRS scores from week 2 to week 8 (placebo, -6.64; cannabidiol, -13.72). There were no significant differences in the development of manic symptoms or any other adverse effects. CONCLUSION: Cannabidiol did not show significantly higher adverse effects than placebo. Despite the negative finding on the primary outcome, an exploratory analysis suggested that cannabidiol should be further studied in bipolar depression in higher doses of at least 300 mg/day and under research designs that could better control for high placebo response.

Aripiprazole/Sertraline Combination: Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness in Comparison With Quetiapine for the Treatment of Bipolar Depression (ASCEnD Trial)-Protocol for a Nested Qualitative Study.

INTRODUCTION: Bipolar disorder is a recurrent mental health disorder with a prevalence rate of 1.4%. On average, there can be a delay of 9.5 years from the initial presentation of symptoms to a confirmed diagnosis. Individuals living with bipolar disorder have a reduced life expectancy. There is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of antidepressants in treating bipolar disorder. The ASCEnD clinical trial will test the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the aripiprazole/sertraline combination in comparison with quetiapine for the treatment of bipolar depression (individuals who suffer from depressive episodes in bipolar disorder) and will include a nested qualitative study. METHODS: The qualitative study will use semi-structured interviews to explore pilot trial participants' and clinicians' perspectives on recruitment procedures, the acceptability of the intervention, the management of bipolar disorder and attitudes to medication combinations. CONCLUSION: Findings will inform recruitment strategies and optimise training for the participating sites in the ASCEnD full trial. They will also help to illuminate the lived experience of people with bipolar disorder and the clinicians who work with people with bipolar disorder. The discussion will explore perspectives on the delay in diagnosis, having a diagnosis, the impact of living with bipolar disorder and attitudes to treatment, including drug combinations. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: A Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) has been convened with the support of the McPin Foundation, which will contribute to the ASCEnD trial and its nested qualitative study to provide input on the design and delivery of the trial and qualitative study, analysis of qualitative data and dissemination of findings.

Well-Being Therapy for Depression.

Well-being therapy (WBT) is a short-term psychotherapeutic strategy, based on the technique of self-observation via the use of a structured diary and the guide of a therapist, with the goal of increasing psychological well-being, thus reaching euthymia and a balance among psychic forces. WBT showed to be suitable for application in residual symptoms of unipolar and bipolar depression, since the sequential combination with cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) led to a decrease in the relapse rate of recurrent depression. WBT also showed clinical utility in the treatment of cyclothymia, which represents one of the stages of bipolar disorder. Further, WBT seems to have efficacy in treatment-resistant depression and in case of withdrawal syndromes (in particular the so-called persistent post-withdrawal disorder) following antidepressant decrease, switch or discontinuation. In brief, WBT is a rather new but promising therapeutic strategy in the management of unipolar and bipolar depression. This chapter offers an overview of WBT possible applications.

Neurocognition across bipolar disorder phases compared to healthy subjects.

INTRODUCTION: Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with cognitive abnormalities that may persist during euthymia and are linked to poor occupational performance. The cognitive differences between phases of BD are not well known. Therefore, a cross-sectional study with a relatively large population was conducted to evaluate the differences among BD phases in a wide range of neurocognitive parameters. METHODS: Neuropsychological profile of 169 patients with a diagnosis of BD in manic, depressive, mixed, and euthymic phases between the ages of 18 and 70 years were compared to 45 healthy individuals' between ages of 24 and 69 years. The working memory (digit-span backward test), face recognition, executive functions (verbal fluency and Stroop test), face recognition, and visual and verbal memory (immediate and delayed recall) were evaluated. For BD subgroup analyses, we used the Kruskal-Wallis (KW) test. Then, for the comparison of BD versus healthy individuals, we used the Mann-Whitney U (MWU) test. RESULTS: Analyses based on non-parametric tests showed impairments in BD for all tests. There were no significant differences between phases. CONCLUSION: Cognitive performance in patients with BD appears to be mostly unrelated to the phase of the disorder, implying that cognitive dysfunction in BD is present even during remission.

Safety and tolerance of combination of monoamine oxidase inhibitors and direct dopamine agonists in adults and older adults with highly resistant depression.

INTRODUCTION: Dopamine (DA) is likely to be involved in some depressive dimensions, such as anhedonia and amotivation, which account for a part of treatment-resistant forms. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) and direct D2 and D3 receptors agonists (D2/3r-dAG) are known to help, but we lack safety data about their combined usage. We report on safety and tolerance of the MAOI+D2r-dAG combination in a clinical series. METHOD: All patients referred to our recourse center for depression between 2013 and 2021 were screened to select those who did receive the combo. Data were extracted from clinical files. RESULTS: Sixteen patients of 60±17 years of age (8 women, 7 with age>65years, all suffered from treatment resistant depression, 7 with bipolar disorder) received the combo. There were no life-threatening adverse effects (AE). However, AE were reported by 14 patients (88%) most of which were mild and consisted of insomnia, nausea, nervousness, confusion, impulse control disorder and/or "sleep attacks". One patient presented a serious AE requiring a short hospitalization for confusion. Intolerance led to failure to introduce treatment in two patients (13%). The retrospective non-interventional design, the variety of molecules, and the modest sample size limited the scope of these results. CONCLUSION: There was no life-threatening safety issue in combining MAOI and D2/3r-dAG, especially regarding cardiovascular side effects. The systematic screening of AE might account for their frequency, but these precluded the treatment in only two patients. Comparative studies are needed to assess the efficacy of this new combination.

Role of Electroconvulsive Therapy, Ketamine Infusion, and Deep Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression: A Case Report.

Background and Objectives: Options for treatment-resistant bipolar depression (TRBPD) are limited. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has shown efficacy in TRBPD. However, the cognitive deficits and memory concerns associated with ECT are problematic for a significant number of patients. It remains unclear what the next step is for patients with TRBPD who fail ECT. Materials and Methods: In this case report, we present a patient with TRBPD who sequentially received 12 sessions of brief-pulse right unilateral ECT, 22 sessions of ketamine infusion at 0.5-0.75 mg/kg for 40 min, and 39 sessions of deep repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS). Results: The patient had some benefit from ECT, but declined continuation of ECT due to memory concerns. The patient tolerated ketamine infusion well but had limited benefit. However, the patient responded well to acute treatment with dTMS and maintained relative stability for more than 2 years. Conclusions: This case suggests that patients with TRBPD who fail ECT and/or ketamine infusion might benefit from dTMS.

Use of a gene expression signature to identify trimetazidine for repurposing to treat bipolar depression.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to repurpose a drug for the treatment of bipolar depression. METHODS: A gene expression signature representing the overall transcriptomic effects of a cocktail of drugs widely prescribed to treat bipolar disorder was generated using human neuronal-like (NT2-N) cells. A compound library of 960 approved, off-patent drugs were then screened to identify those drugs that affect transcription most similar to the effects of the bipolar depression drug cocktail. For mechanistic studies, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained from a healthy subject and reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells, which were then differentiated into co-cultured neurons and astrocytes. Efficacy studies were conducted in two animal models of depressive-like behaviours (Flinders Sensitive Line rats and social isolation with chronic restraint stress rats). RESULTS: The screen identified trimetazidine as a potential drug for repurposing. Trimetazidine alters metabolic processes to increase ATP production, which is thought to be deficient in bipolar depression. We showed that trimetazidine increased mitochondrial respiration in cultured human neuronal-like cells. Transcriptomic analysis in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neuron/astrocyte co-cultures suggested additional mechanisms of action via the focal adhesion and MAPK signalling pathways. In two different rodent models of depressive-like behaviours, trimetazidine exhibited antidepressant-like activity with reduced anhedonia and reduced immobility in the forced swim test. CONCLUSION: Collectively our data support the repurposing of trimetazidine for the treatment of bipolar depression.

Adjunctive lumateperone (ITI-007) in the treatment of bipolar depression: Results from a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: This phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (NCT02600507) evaluated the efficacy and safety of lumateperone adjunctive therapy to lithium or valproate in patients with bipolar depression. METHODS: Patients (18-75 years) with bipolar I or bipolar II disorder experiencing a major depressive episode (MDE), with inadequate therapeutic response to lithium or valproate, were randomized 1:1:1 to 6 weeks adjunctive therapy with lumateperone 28 mg (n = 176), lumateperone 42 mg (n = 177), or placebo (n = 176). The primary and key secondary efficacy endpoints were change from baseline to Day 43 in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Total score and the Clinical Global Impression Scale-Bipolar Version-Severity Scale (CGI-BP-S) depression subscore. Safety assessments included adverse events, laboratory evaluations, vital signs, extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), and suicidality. RESULTS: Patients treated with adjunctive lumateperone 42 mg showed significantly greater improvement compared with adjunctive placebo in MADRS Total score (LS mean difference vs placebo [LSMD], -2.4; p = 0.02) and CGI-BP-S depression subscore (LSMD, -0.3; p = 0.01), while adjunctive lumateperone 28 mg showed numerical improvement in MADRS Total score (LSMD, -1.7; p = 0.10) and improvement in the CGI-BP-S depression subscore (LSMD, -0.3; p = 0.04). Adjunctive lumateperone treatment was well tolerated; treatment-emergent adverse events reported at rates >5% and twice placebo for lumateperone 42 mg were somnolence (11.3%), dizziness (10.7%), and nausea (8.5%), with minimal risk of EPS, metabolic abnormalities, or increased prolactin. CONCLUSIONS: Lumateperone 42-mg treatment adjunctive to lithium or valproate significantly improved depression symptoms and was generally well tolerated in patients with MDEs associated with either bipolar I or bipolar II disorder.

Proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial of single-session nitrous oxide treatment for refractory bipolar depression: Focus on cerebrovascular target engagement.

BACKGROUND: There remain few efficacious treatments for bipolar depression, which dominates the course of bipolar disorder (BD). Despite multiple studies reporting associations between depression and cerebral blood flow (CBF), little is known regarding CBF as a treatment target, or predictor and/or indicator of treatment response, in BD. Nitrous oxide, an anesthetic gas with vasoactive and putative antidepressant properties, has a long history as a neuroimaging probe. We undertook an experimental medicine paradigm, coupling in-scanner single-session nitrous oxide treatment of bipolar depression with repeated measures of CBF. METHODS: In this double-blind randomized controlled trial, 25 adults with BD I/II and current treatment-refractory depression received either: (1) nitrous oxide (20 min at 25% concentration) plus intravenous saline (n = 12), or (2) medical air plus intravenous midazolam (2 mg total; n = 13). Study outcomes included changes in depression severity (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale scores, primary) and changes in CBF (via arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging). RESULTS: There were no significant between-group differences in 24-h post-treatment MADRS change or treatment response. However, the nitrous oxide group had significantly greater same-day reductions in depression severity. Lower baseline regional CBF predicted greater 24-h post-treatment MADRS reductions with nitrous oxide but not midazolam. In region-of-interest and voxel-wise analyses, there was a pattern of regional CBF reductions following treatment with midazolam versus nitrous oxide. CONCLUSIONS: Present findings, while tentative and based on secondary endpoints, suggest differential associations of nitrous oxide versus midazolam with bipolar depression severity and cerebral hemodynamics. Larger studies integrating neuroimaging targets and repeated nitrous oxide treatment sessions are warranted.

Multi-trial, aggregated, individual participant data mega-analysis of short-term antidepressant versus mood stabilizer monotherapy of bipolar type II major depressive episode.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have systematically examined the safety and effectiveness of antidepressant versus mood stabilizer monotherapy of bipolar II depression. To date, there are no aggregated or mega-analyses of prospective trials of individual participant-level data (IPD) to inform future treatment guidelines on the relative safety and effectiveness of antidepressant or lithium monotherapy. METHODS: Data from a series of four independent, similarly designed trials of antidepressant or lithium monotherapy (where longitudinal IPD were available) (n = 393) were aggregated into an IPD dataset (i.e., mega-analysis). Hierarchical log-linear growth models were used to analyze primary outcome of change over time in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) scores; while secondary outcomes examined Clinical Global Impressions severity (CGI/S) and change (CGI/C) scores, and change over time in Young Mania Rating (YMR) scores. RESULTS: Relative to lithium monotherapy, antidepressant monotherapy demonstrated significantly greater symptom reduction on HRSD scores across time (b = -2.33, t = -6.68, p < 0.0001), significantly greater symptom reduction on the CGI/S across time (b = -0.414, t = -6.32, p < 0.001), and a significant improvement in CGI/C across time (b = -0.47, t = -7.43, p < 0.0001). No differences were observed in change over time for YMR scores between antidepressant and lithium monotherapy (b = 0.06, t = 0.49, p = 0.62). CONCLUSION: Findings from this IPD mega-analysis of bipolar II depression trials suggest a divergence from current evidence-based guidelines recommending combined mood stabilizer plus antidepressant therapy. The current mega-analysis suggests that antidepressant monotherapy may provide superior short-term effectiveness without clinically meaningful increase in treatment-emergent hypomanic symptoms compared to lithium monotherapy.

Treating bipolar depression with esketamine: Safety and effectiveness data from a naturalistic multicentric study on esketamine in bipolar versus unipolar treatment-resistant depression.

BACKGROUND: Bipolar depression accounts for most of the disease duration in type I and type II bipolar disorder (BD), with few treatment options, often poorly tolerated. Many individuals do not respond to first-line therapeutic options, resulting in treatment-resistant bipolar depression (B-TRD). Esketamine, the S-enantiomer of ketamine, has recently been approved for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but no data are available on its use in B-TRD. OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy of esketamine in two samples of unipolar and bipolar TRD, providing preliminary indications of its effectiveness in B-TRD. Secondary outcomes included the evaluation of the safety and tolerability of esketamine in B-TRD, focusing on the average risk of an affective switch. METHODS: Thirty-five B-TRD subjects treated with esketamine nasal spray were enrolled and compared with 35 TRD patients. Anamnestic data and psychometric assessments (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale/MADRS, Hamilton-depression scale/HAM-D, Hamilton-anxiety scale/HAM-A) were collected at baseline (T0), at one month (T1), and three months (T2) follow up. RESULTS: A significant reduction in depressive symptoms was found at T1 and T2 compared to T0, with no significant differences in response or remission rates between subjects with B-TRD and TRD. Esketamine showed a greater anxiolytic action in subjects with B-TRD than in those with TRD. Improvement in depressive symptoms was not associated with treatment-emergent affective switch. CONCLUSIONS: Our results supported the effectiveness and tolerability of esketamine in a real-world population of subjects with B-TRD. The low risk of manic switch in B-TRD patients confirmed the safety of this treatment.

Brain stimulation treatment for bipolar disorder.

AIMS: Bipolar disorders are clinically complex, chronic and recurrent disorders. Few treatment options are effective across hypomanic, manic, depressive and mixed states and as continuation or maintenance treatment after initial symptom remission. The aim of this review was to provide an up-to-date overview of research on the efficacy, tolerability and cognitive effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), magnetic seizure therapy (MST), deep brain stimulation (DBS) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). METHODS: References included in this review were identified through multiple searches of the Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE and APA PsycINFO electronic databases for articles published from inception until February 2022. Published reviews, meta-analyses, randomised controlled trials and recent studies were prioritised to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of research on brain stimulation in patients with bipolar disorders. RESULTS: The evidence base for brain stimulation as an add-on or alternative to pharmacological and psychological treatments in patients with bipolar disorders is limited but rapidly expanding. Brain stimulation treatments represent an opportunity to treat all bipolar disorder states, including cognitive dysfunction during euthymic periods. CONCLUSION: Whilst findings to date have been encouraging, larger randomised controlled trials with long-term follow-up are needed to clarify important questions regarding treatment efficacy and tolerability, the frequency of treatment-emergent affective switches and effects on cognitive function.