Three-year longitudinal cognitive functioning in patients recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The longitudinal course of neuropsychological functioning after the first manic episode in bipolar disorder is unknown. The present study evaluated cognitive change in bipolar disorder in the first 3 years after the initial manic episode. METHODS: Ninety-one newly diagnosed patients with bipolar disorder and 61 demographically similar healthy participants received a neuropsychological evaluation assessing multiple cognitive domains at baseline, 1-year, and 3-year time points. Patients also received clinical assessments including mood ratings at all time points. RESULTS: Patients showed deficits in all domains at baseline, but similar longitudinal trajectories across time relative to healthy participants in most cognitive domains. For processing speed, patients showed more gains than controls from baseline to 1 year, but these gains stabilized thereafter. Patients with alcohol/substance abuse showed an initial delay but subsequent recovery in executive functioning. Patients who discontinued antipsychotic treatment showed better cognitive outcomes in verbal memory. CONCLUSION: Appropriately treated patients with bipolar disorder showed favorable cognitive outcome in the first 3 years after experiencing an initial manic episode, arguing against cognitive neuroprogression at this stage of the illness. Discontinuation of antipsychotic treatment may be associated with better cognitive outcomes, but clarification of the role of antipsychotics on cognitive functioning requires further investigation.

Quality of life in bipolar disorder: towards a dynamic understanding.

BACKGROUND: Although quality of life (QoL) is receiving increasing attention in bipolar disorder (BD) research and practice, little is known about its naturalistic trajectory. The dual aims of this study were to prospectively investigate: (a) the trajectory of QoL under guideline-driven treatment and (b) the dynamic relationship between mood symptoms and QoL. METHODS: In total, 362 patients with BD receiving guideline-driven treatment were prospectively followed at 3-month intervals for up to 5 years. Mental (Mental Component Score - MCS) and physical (Physical Component Score - PCS) QoL were measured using the self-report SF-36. Clinician-rated symptom data were recorded for mania and depression. Multilevel modelling was used to analyse MCS and PCS over time, QoL trajectories predicted by time-lagged symptoms, and symptom trajectories predicted by time-lagged QoL. RESULTS: MCS exhibited a positive trajectory, while PCS worsened over time. Investigation of temporal relationships between QoL and symptoms suggested bidirectional effects: earlier depressive symptoms were negatively associated with mental QoL, and earlier manic symptoms were negatively associated with physical QoL. Importantly, earlier MCS and PCS were both negatively associated with downstream symptoms of mania and depression. CONCLUSIONS: The present investigation illustrates real-world outcomes for QoL under guideline-driven BD treatment: improvements in mental QoL and decrements in physical QoL were observed. The data permitted investigation of dynamic interactions between QoL and symptoms, generating novel evidence for bidirectional effects and encouraging further research into this important interplay. Investigation of relevant time-varying covariates (e.g. medications) was beyond scope. Future research should investigate possible determinants of QoL and the interplay between symptoms and wellbeing/satisfaction-centric measures of QoL.

Assessing and addressing cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder: the International Society for Bipolar Disorders Targeting Cognition Task Force recommendations for clinicians.

OBJECTIVES: Cognition is a new treatment target to aid functional recovery and enhance quality of life for patients with bipolar disorder. The International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) Targeting Cognition Task Force aimed to develop consensus-based clinical recommendations on whether, when and how to assess and address cognitive impairment. METHODS: The task force, consisting of 19 international experts from nine countries, discussed the challenges and recommendations in a face-to-face meeting, telephone conference call and email exchanges. Consensus-based recommendations were achieved through these exchanges with no need for formal consensus methods. RESULTS: The identified questions were: (I) Should cognitive screening assessments be routinely conducted in clinical settings? (II) What are the most feasible screening tools? (III) What are the implications if cognitive impairment is detected? (IV) What are the treatment perspectives? Key recommendations are that clinicians: (I) formally screen cognition in partially or fully remitted patients whenever possible, (II) use brief, easy-to-administer tools such as the Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry and Cognitive Complaints in Bipolar Disorder Rating Assessment, and (III) evaluate the impact of medication and comorbidity, refer patients for comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation when clinically indicated, and encourage patients to build cognitive reserve. Regarding question (IV), there is limited evidence for current evidence-based treatments but intense research efforts are underway to identify new pharmacological and/or psychological cognition treatments. CONCLUSIONS: This task force paper provides the first consensus-based recommendations for clinicians on whether, when, and how to assess and address cognition, which may aid patients' functional recovery and improve their quality of life.

Optimal duration of risperidone or olanzapine adjunctive therapy to mood stabilizer following remission of a manic episode: A CANMAT randomized double-blind trial.

Atypical antipsychotic adjunctive therapy to lithium or valproate is effective in treating acute mania. Although continuation of atypical antipsychotic adjunctive therapy after mania remission reduces relapse of mood episodes, the optimal duration is unknown. As many atypical antipsychotics cause weight gain and metabolic syndrome, they should not be continued unless the benefits outweigh the risks. This 52-week double-blind placebo-controlled trial recruited patients with bipolar I disorder (n=159) who recently remitted from a manic episode during treatment with risperidone or olanzapine adjunctive therapy to lithium or valproate. Patients were randomized to one of three conditions: discontinuation of risperidone or olanzapine and substitution with placebo at (i) entry ('0-weeks' group) or (ii) at 24 weeks after entry ('24-weeks' group) or (iii) continuation of risperidone or olanzapine for the full duration of the study ('52-weeks' group). The primary outcome measure was time to relapse of any mood episode. Compared with the 0-weeks group, the time to any mood episode was significantly longer in the 24-weeks group (hazard ratio (HR) 0.53; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.33, 0.86) and nearly so in the 52-weeks group (HR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.39, 1.02). The relapse rate was similar in the 52-weeks group compared with the 24-weeks group (HR: 1.18; 95% CI: 0.71, 1.99); however, sub-group analysis showed discordant results between the two antipsychotics (HR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.17; 1.32 olanzapine patients; HR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.00, 3.41 risperidone patients). Average weight gain was 3.2 kg in the 52-weeks group compared with a weight loss of 0.2 kg in the 0-weeks and 0.1 kg in the 24-weeks groups. These findings suggest that risperidone or olanzapine adjunctive therapy for 24 weeks is beneficial but continuation of risperidone beyond this period does not reduce the risk of relapse. Whether continuation of olanzapine beyond this period reduces relapse risk remains unclear but the potential benefit needs to be weighed against an increased risk of weight gain.

Methodological recommendations for cognition trials in bipolar disorder by the International Society for Bipolar Disorders Targeting Cognition Task Force.

OBJECTIVES: To aid the development of treatment for cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder, the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) convened a task force to create a consensus-based guidance paper for the methodology and design of cognition trials in bipolar disorder. METHODS: The task force was launched in September 2016, consisting of 18 international experts from nine countries. A series of methodological issues were identified based on literature review and expert opinion. The issues were discussed and expanded upon in an initial face-to-face meeting, telephone conference call and email exchanges. Based upon these exchanges, recommendations were achieved. RESULTS: Key methodological challenges are: lack of consensus on how to screen for entry into cognitive treatment trials, define cognitive impairment, track efficacy, assess functional implications, and manage mood symptoms and concomitant medication. Task force recommendations are to: (i) enrich trials with objectively measured cognitively impaired patients; (ii) generally select a broad cognitive composite score as the primary outcome and a functional measure as a key secondary outcome; and (iii) include remitted or partly remitted patients. It is strongly encouraged that trials exclude patients with current substance or alcohol use disorders, neurological disease or unstable medical illness, and keep non-study medications stable. Additional methodological considerations include neuroimaging assessments, targeting of treatments to illness stage and using a multimodal approach. CONCLUSIONS: This ISBD task force guidance paper provides the first consensus-based recommendations for cognition trials in bipolar disorder. Adherence to these recommendations will likely improve the sensitivity in detecting treatment efficacy in future trials and increase comparability between studies.

Lower cognitive functioning as a predictor of weight gain in bipolar disorder: a 12-month study.

OBJECTIVE: In cross-sectional studies, elevated body mass index (BMI) is associated with cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder (BD). We investigated the direction of this association by prospectively examining changes in BMI and cognition. METHOD: We measured BMI and performance in six cognitive domains over 12 months in 80 adolescent and young adult BD patients and 46 healthy comparison subjects (HS). Ninety-three percent of patients received pharmacotherapy and 84% were euthymic. We used repeated-measures ancova and longitudinal mixed models to investigate whether (i) higher BMI and increasing BMI over time predicted lower subsequent cognitive functioning, and (ii) lower cognitive functioning and changes in cognition predicted increasing BMI. RESULTS: Neither baseline BMI nor BMI change predicted lower cognitive functioning. Lower baseline scores in attention, verbal memory, working memory, and a composite measure of global cognition predicted increasing BMI in patients and HS. In patients, lower cognitive functioning remained associated with increasing BMI when clinical and treatment variables were adjusted for. Improvement in working memory predicted a smaller subsequent BMI increase in patients. CONCLUSION: Lower cognitive functioning in specific domains predicts increasing BMI in patients with BD and healthy young adults. Targeting cognition may be important for minimizing weight gain in BD.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of ketamine in the rapid treatment of major depressive episodes.

BACKGROUND: There is growing interest in glutamatergic agents in depression, particularly ketamine, a glutamate N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist. We aimed to assess the efficacy of ketamine in major depressive episodes. METHOD: We searched EMBASE, PsycINFO, CENTRAL, and Medline from 1962 to January 2014 to identify double-blind, randomized controlled trials with allocation concealment evaluating ketamine in major depressive episodes. Clinical remission, response and depressive symptoms were extracted by two independent raters. The primary outcome measure was clinical remission at 24 h, 3 days and 7 days post-treatment. Analyses employed a random-effects model. RESULTS: Data were synthesized from seven RCTs employing an intravenous infusion and one RCT employing intranasal ketamine, representing 73 subjects in parallel arms and 110 subjects in cross-over designs [n = 34 with bipolar disorder (BD), n = 149 with major depressive disorder (MDD)]. Ketamine was associated with higher rates of clinical remission relative to comparator (saline or midazolam) at 24 h [OR 7.06, number needed to treat (NNT) = 5], 3 days (OR 3.86, NNT = 6), and 7 days (OR 4.00, NNT = 6), as well as higher rates of clinical response at 24 h (OR 9.10, NNT = 3), 3 days (OR 6.77, NNT = 3), and 7 days (OR 4.87, NNT = 4). A standardized mean difference of 0.90 in favor of ketamine was observed at 24 h based on depression rating scale scores, with group comparisons revealing greater efficacy in unipolar depression compared to bipolar depression (1.07 v. 0.68). Ketamine was associated with transient psychotomimetic effects, but no persistent psychosis or affective switches. CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis suggests that single administrations ketamine are efficacious in the rapid treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression. Additional research is required to determine optimal dosing schedules, route, treatment schedules, and the potential efficacy of other glutamatergic agents.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and inflammatory markers in school-aged children with early trauma.

OBJECTIVE: The impact of childhood trauma (CT) on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cytokines levels remains unclear. We investigated the association between CT and changes in BDNF and cytokines plasma levels in children. METHOD: We recruited 36 children with trauma (CT+) and 26 children without trauma (CT-). The presence of CT was based on a clinical interview and by Criteria A of DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. Blood samples were drawn from all children to assess BDNF and cytokines. ancova was performed with psychiatric symptoms and BMI as covariates to evaluate group differences in plasma levels. RESULTS: CT+ showed increased levels of BDNF and TNF-α after excluding children with history of inflammatory disease (P<0.05) when compared with those CT-. IL-12p70, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-1ß levels were not statistically different between groups. CONCLUSION: CT+ showed increased BDNF and proinflammatory cytokines levels. The increase in BDNF levels may be an attempt to neutralize the negative effects of CT, while an increase in TNF-a levels be associated with a proinflammatory state after CT. How these changes associated with trauma relate to other biological changes and illness trajectory later in life remain to be further studied.

A systematic review of interventions in the early course of bipolar disorder I or II: a report of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders Taskforce on early intervention.

BACKGROUND: Given the likelihood of progressive illness in bipolar disorder (BD), it is important to understand the benefits and risks of interventions administered early in illness course. We conducted a systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions in the early course of BD I or II. METHODS: We completed a systematic search on MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL and Google Scholar from 1/1/1979 till 14/9/2022. We included controlled trials examining intervention effects on symptomatic, course, functional and tolerability outcomes of patients in the 'early course' of BD I or II. We classified patients to be in early course if they (a) were seeking help for the first time for a manic episode, (b) had a lifetime history of up to 3 manic episodes, or (c) had up to 6 lifetime mood episodes. Evidence quality was assessed using the GRADE approach. RESULTS: From 4135 unique publications we included 25 reports representing 2212 participants in 16 randomized studies, and 17,714 participants from nine non-randomized studies. Available evidence suggested that in early illness course, lithium use was associated with lower recurrence risk compared with other mood stabilizers. Mood stabilizers were also associated with better global functioning, compared with the use of antipsychotics in the medium term. While summative findings regarding psychological therapies were limited by heterogeneity, family-focused and cognitive-behavioral interventions were associated with reduced recurrence risk or improved symptomatic outcomes. There was some evidence that the same pharmacological interventions were more efficacious in preventing recurrences when utilized in earlier rather than later illness course. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: While there are promising initial findings, there is a need for more adequately powered trials to examine the efficacy and tolerability of interventions in youth and adults in early illness course. Specifically, there is a compelling need to compare the relative benefits of lithium with other pharmacological agents in preventing recurrences. In addition to symptomatic outcomes, there should be a greater focus on functional impact and tolerability. Effective pharmacological and psychological interventions should be offered to those in early course of BD, balancing potential risks using shared decision-making approaches.

Relationship between cognitive functioning and 6-month clinical and functional outcome in patients with first manic episode bipolar I disorder.

BACKGROUND: Although cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder have been associated with diminished functional outcome, this relationship has been studied primarily through cross-sectional designs, and has not been studied in patients early in the course of illness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of cognitive functioning on longitudinal 6-month functional and clinical outcome in recently diagnosed clinically stable patients with bipolar disorder. METHOD: A total of 53 recently diagnosed patients with DSM-IV bipolar disorder type I were assessed within 3 months of their first manic episode using a neuropsychological battery measuring verbal/pre-morbid intellectual functioning, learning/memory, spatial/non-verbal reasoning, attention/processing speed and executive function. Functional outcome was assessed at baseline and 6 months using the Multidimensional Scale of Independent Functioning (MSIF) and DSM-IV Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF). Clinical outcome was assessed with symptom ratings and by monitoring onset of new mood episodes. RESULTS: Memory, particularly verbal learning/memory, was robustly associated with 6-month functional outcome on the MSIF, even after partialling out the influence of mood symptoms and substance abuse co-morbidity. Depression ratings at 6 months, but not cognitive variables, were associated with 6-month GAF scores. Cognitive functioning was not associated with 6-month clinical outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Memory was associated with 6-month longitudinal functional but not clinical outcome in recently diagnosed patients with bipolar disorder. These data further support the distinction between clinical and functional outcome, and emphasize the need for identification of, and development of treatments for, cognitive impairments early in the course of bipolar disorder.

Psychometric properties of the well-being index (WHO-5) spanish version in a sample of euthymic patients with bipolar disorder.

BACKGROUND: The concept of well-being which focuses on positive emotions has received increased research attention. However, a consensus definition of this term is lacking. The Well-Being Index scale (WHO-5) is a generic, self-report scale that contains five Likert-type items to evaluate psychological well-being. This construct may provide a relevant outcome in bipolar disorder (BD) research and care beyond the rating of mood symptoms. Thus, in the current study, the psychometric properties of the WHO-5 Spanish version were assessed in a sample of euthymic patients with BD. METHODS: Patients with BD- I and BD-II and healthy controls completed the Well-Being Index (WHO-5) together with an assessment of depressive (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17; HAM-D) and manic symptoms (Young Mania Rating Scale; YMRS); and a measure of psychosocial functioning (Functioning Assessment Short Test; FAST). Internal consistency reliability was measured through Cronbach's alpha. Test-retest reliability was calculated comparing the WHO-5 total score at baseline and after 10 days of the first administration. To assess the structure of the scale, a principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out. Correlations between the WHO-5, HAM-D, YMRS and FAST were calculated. Finally, a t-test for independent samples was applied to compare the WHO-5 total score in the patient and control groups. RESULTS: A total of 104 patients with BD and 40 healthy controls were included in this study. A Chronbach's alpha of 0.83 indicated acceptable internal consistency. A paired sample t-test revealed no significant differences between WHO-5 total score at baseline and at follow-up (tn = - 0.72; df = 15; p = 0.48). The PCA provided a single factor solution that accounted for 59.74% of the variation in WHO-5. Test-retest reliability was high (r = 0.83; p < 0.001). Moderate negative correlations were observed between the WHO-5 total score, the FAST (r = - 0.46.; p < 0.001) and the HAM-D (r = - 0.68; p < 0.001), but not with the YMRS (r = - 0.07; p = 0.42). Finally, significant differences were found when comparing the WHO-5 total score between patient and healthy controls (t = 5.1; df = 147; p < 0.001). LIMITATIONS: some limitations include the lack of a comparator scale to test for validity construct and the small sample size in the test-retest reliability CONCLUSIONS: The WHO-5 shows an acceptable reliability index and measures a unitary construct in a Spanish population of euthymic patients with BD.

Diagnosis and body mass index effects on hippocampal volumes and neurochemistry in bipolar disorder.

We previously reported that higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with greater hippocampal glutamate+glutamine in people with bipolar disorder (BD), but not in non-BD healthy comparator subjects (HSs). In the current report, we extend these findings by examining the impact of BD diagnosis and BMI on hippocampal volumes and the concentrations of several additional neurochemicals in 57 early-stage BD patients and 31 HSs. Using 3-T magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we measured bilateral hippocampal volumes and the hippocampal concentrations of four neurochemicals relevant to BD: N-acetylaspartate+N-acteylaspartylglutamate (tNAA), creatine+phosphocreatine (Cre), myoinositol (Ins) and glycerophosphocholine+phosphatidylcholine (Cho). We used multivariate factorial analysis of covariance to investigate the impact of diagnosis (patient vs HS) and BMI category (normal weight vs overweight/obese) on these variables. We found a main effect of diagnosis on hippocampal volumes, with patients having smaller hippocampi than HSs. There was no association between BMI and hippocampal volumes. We found diagnosis and BMI effects on hippocampal neurochemistry, with patients having lower Cre, Ins and Cho, and overweight/obese subjects having higher levels of these chemicals. In patient-only models that controlled for clinical and treatment variables, we detected an additional association between higher BMI and lower tNAA that was absent in HSs. To our knowledge, this was the first study to investigate the relative contributions of BD diagnosis and BMI to hippocampal volumes, and only the second to investigate their contributions to hippocampal chemistry. It provides further evidence that diagnosis and elevated BMI both impact limbic brain areas relevant to BD.

Brain serotonin2 receptors in major depression: a positron emission tomography study.

BACKGROUND: Postmortem and brain imaging studies that measured brain serotinin(2) (5-HT(2)) receptors in major depression reported an increase, decrease, and no change compared with controls. In this study, we assessed brain 5-HT(2) receptors in 20 depressed patients (mean +/- SD age, 40.1 +/- 9.5 years; range, 22-60 years) and 20 healthy controls similar in age (37.2 +/- 12.6 years; range, 19-59 years) using positron emission tomography and setoperone labeled with fluorine 18 ([(18)F]setoperone). METHODS: Patients with DSM-IV major depression and healthy controls underwent scanning with [(18)F]setoperone. All study subjects were drug free for at least 2 weeks. The 5-HT(2) binding images were created using region-to-cerebellum ratios. The differences in 5-HT(2) receptor binding potential between the two groups were determined with statistical parametric mapping software and region of interest analysis. RESULTS: There was a significant negative correlation between 5-HT(2) receptor binding potential and age in both patients and controls, and the magnitude of this correlation was similar in both groups. Both statistical parametric mapping and region of interest analyses showed that, compared with healthy controls, depressed patients had significantly lower 5-HT(2) receptor binding potential in frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital cortical regions. Statistical parametric mapping analysis showed that the mean decrease in 5-HT(2) receptor binding potential for the entire cluster in these regions was 22%, and it ranged from 22% to 27% for local maxima within the clusters of significant voxels. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that brain 5-HT(2) receptors are decreased in patients with major depression.

Decrease in brain serotonin 2 receptor binding in patients with major depression following desipramine treatment: a positron emission tomography study with fluorine-18-labeled setoperone.

BACKGROUND: The neuroreceptor changes involved in therapeutic efficacy of various antidepressants remain unclear. Preclinical studies have shown that long-term administration of various antidepressants causes down-regulation of brain serotonin 2 (5-HT2) receptors in rodents, but it is unknown if similar changes occur following antidepressant treatment in depressed patients. Our purpose, therefore, was to assess the effects of treatment with desipramine hydrochloride on brain 5-HT2 receptors in depressed patients using positron emission tomography (PET) and fluorine-18 (18F)-labeled setoperone. METHODS: Eleven patients who met DSM-IV criteria for major depression as determined by a structured clinical interview for DSM-III-R diagnosis and suitable for treatment with desipramine were recruited. Ten patients underwent a PET scan before and another after 3 to 4 weeks of treatment with desipramine. RESULTS: Eight of the 10 patients responded to desipramine treatment as indicated by more than 50% decrease in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores. Depressed patients showed a significant decrease in 5-HT2 receptor binding as measured by setoperone binding in frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital cortical regions following desipramine treatment. The decrease in 5-HT2 receptor binding was observed bilaterally and was particularly prominent in frontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS: Depressed patients showed a significant reduction in available 5-HT2 receptors in the brain following desipramine treatment, but it is unknown if this change in 5-HT2 receptors is due to clinical improvement or an effect of desipramine that is unrelated to clinical status.

Buspirone induced prolactin release in mania.

Prolactin responses to buspirone challenge were examined in 11 manic patients and 11 healthy controls. Of the 11 manic patients, six were treated with lithium alone for 3 weeks, and the buspirone challenge test was repeated. The results showed (1) that there was no difference in prolactin response to buspirone challenge between manic patients and healthy controls, and (2) that there was no correlation between delta (delta) prolactin levels and severity of manic symptoms. Lithium treatment led to a large reduction in delta (delta) prolactin levels, which did not correlate with changes in symptom severity. These results support the possibility that 5HT1A receptors are probably not involved in the pathophysiology of mania.

Prolactin and cortisol responses to fenfluramine challenge in mania.

Prolactin and cortisol responses to fenfluramine (60 mg PO) challenge were examined in 20 subjects (10 manic patients and 10 age- and gender-matched healthy controls) to ascertain the "net" central serotonin (5-HT) activity in mania. There was no difference in baseline prolactin or cortisol levels between manic patients and healthy controls. Similarly, neither prolactin nor cortisol response to fenfluramine was different in manic patients compared to controls. There was also no correlation between severity of symptoms in manic patients and prolactin or cortisol response to fenfluramine challenge. The results do not support the possibility that net central 5-HT activity is altered in mania.

Growth hormone response to sumatriptan (5-HT1D agonist) challenge in seasonal affective disorder: effects of light therapy.

To explore the role of serotonergic system in seasonal affective disorder (SAD), we compared growth hormone (GH) responses to a challenge with a novel 5-HT1D receptor agonist sumatriptan between 11 patients with SAD and nine healthy controls. Of the 11 patients with SAD, nine had repeat sumatriptan challenge following treatment with light therapy. The results showed that GH responses were significantly blunted during winter depression in patients with SAD compared to healthy controls. The GH responses normalized following treatment with light therapy to similar levels in controls. The results of this study provide a support for the role of serotonergic system in pathophysiology of SAD and in the mechanism of action of light therapy.

A pilot study of a neuroendocrine test battery in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Eight female patients who fulfilled DSM-III criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) took part in this study. They were each assessed using the dexamethasone suppression test, the desipramine/growth hormone stimulation test, which examines alpha-2-adrenoceptor functioning, and the buspirone/prolactin test, which is thought to examine 5-HT receptor functioning. A control group consisting of age- and sex-matched healthy subjects was also tested. For each subject the three tests were conducted over 5 days. Hormone assays were carried out blind to diagnosis. Overall no differences on any of the three tests were detected between the patients and controls. The results do not support a link between PTSD and major depression.

Blunting of noradrenergic-stimulated growth hormone release in mania.

Seven drug-free patients with bipolar affective disorder, currently in a manic phase, underwent desipramine-induced growth hormone (GH) stimulation, as did seven healthy age- and sex-matched subjects. There was significant blunting of GH release in the manic patients, suggesting a down-regulation of alpha 2-noradrenergic responses. Blunting of GH release was not related to severity of symptoms, duration of illness, or age. Similar blunting has previously been described in depressed patients.

Decreased serotonin 2A receptor densities in neuroleptic-naive patients with schizophrenia: A PET study using [(18)F]setoperone.

OBJECTIVE: The authors compared serotonin receptor binding in patients with schizophrenia and healthy comparison subjects. METHOD: They used positron emission tomography with [(18)F]setoperone to examine six patients with schizophrenia who had never been given neuroleptics and seven age-matched subjects who did not have schizophrenia. RESULTS: A nondirected voxel-based analysis of the subjects' entire search volume found that serotonin 2A binding potential in the frontal cortex index was significantly smaller (by 16.3%) in patients with schizophrenia than in healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that the decrease in serotonin receptor densities previously reported in postmortem studies of subjects with schizophrenia are present at the onset of the illness, before exposure to neuroleptics.