Diretrizes clínicas para tratamento da depressão: análise de fatores associados à qualidade e comparação de recomendações para pacientes não respondedores e com depressão resistente / Clinical guidelines for the treatment of depression: analysis of factors associated with quality and comparison of recommendations for nonresponding patients and for patients with resistant depression

Diretrizes clínicas (DCs) de alta qualidade são importantes para a assistência efetiva de pacientes com doenças crônicas, incluindo a depressão. A depressão é um dos principais problemas de saúde mundial, sendo um dos transtornos psiquiátricos mais comumente encontrados na prática médica, afetando cerca de 300 milhões de pessoas. Além de sua natureza debilitante e onerosa, muitas vezes pode levar a desfechos graves, tal como o suicídio, principalmente em pacientes que não respondem aos tratamentos. Assim, o objetivo geral desta tese foi identificar fatores das DCs associados à qualidade metodológica desses documentos e de suas recomendações, e comparar as recomendações para duas situações de falhas da farmacoterapia: pacientes não respondedores e pacientes com depressão resistente ao tratamento (DRT). Operacionalmente, foram feitas revisões sistemáticas da literatura em bases científicas e específicas de DCs, e incluídas DCs publicadas nos últimos onze anos que contivessem recomendações para o tratamento farmacológico de adultos com depressão. Para avaliação geral das DCs, foi aplicado o instrumento AGREE II, e para avaliação específica das recomendações, o instrumento AGREE-REX. As DCs foram consideradas de alta qualidade quando pontuaram com escores maiores ou iguais a 60% (no estudo descrito no capítulo 2) e maiores ou iguais a 80% (no estudo descrito no capítulo 3) no domínio 3 (Rigor de desenvolvimento) do AGREE II. As DCs com recomendações de alta qualidade foram as que pontuaram com mais de 60% no domínio 1 (Aplicabilidade Clínica) do AGREE-REX. Das 63 DCs selecionadas, 17 (27%) apresentaram alta qualidade, e 7 (11%) apresentaram recomendações de alta qualidade. Os fatores associados à maior qualidade foram gerenciamento de conflitos de interesses, equipe multiprofissional e tipo de instituição. A inclusão de representante do paciente na equipe também foi associada a recomendações de maior qualidade. Verificou-se que a maioria das DCs concorda com a necessidade de: reavaliar o diagnóstico, a presença de comorbidades, a adesão ao tratamento, ajustar a dosagem do antidepressivo e adicionar psicoterapia como os primeiros passos para aqueles que não respondem ao tratamento antidepressivo de primeira linha. Em relação às recomendações, há falhas importantes, incluindo a não apresentação de definição padronizada de resposta adequada/inadequada/parcial, e o não estabelecimento de tempo de tratamento necessário para declarar DRT. Todas as DCs incluíram a possibilidade de substituição do antidepressivo, potencialização com outros medicamentos e combinação de antidepressivos. Todavia, três DCs não recomendaram uma sequência entre eles. Por fim, verificou-se que das 17 DCs de alta qualidade e das 7 DCs com recomendações de alta qualidade, apenas duas incluíram definição e recomendações para DRT. Não existe consenso entre as DCs de alta qualidade quanto à definição e uso do termo DRT. Não foi possível extrair uma estratégia terapêutica convergente para DRT em adultos. Os resultados obtidos reforçam a necessidade de maior foco no aprimoramento da qualidade das DCs e de suas recomendações, especialmente nos subgrupos relativos à resposta inadequada ao tratamento e a DRT, nas quais as definições não são claras

High-quality clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are important for treating patients with chronic diseases such as depression. Depression is a major health concern worldwide, affecting approximately 300 million people. It is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in medical practice. It is not only debilitating and costly but can also lead to tragic consequences such as suicide, particularly in patients who do not respond to treatment. The objective of this thesis was to identify CPGs factors associated with the methodological quality of these documents and their recommendations. Furthermore, this thesis aimed to compare the recommendations in two pharmacotherapy failure situations: inadequate response to treatment and treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Systematic literature reviews were conducted on scientific and CPG-specific databases. Reviews were also conducted on CPGs published in the last eleven years that included recommendations for pharmacological treatment of adults with depression. The AGREE II instrument was used for the CPGs general assessment, while the AGREE-REX instrument was used specifically to assess their recommendations. CPGs were considered high quality if they achieved a score of at least 60% in the study mentioned in Chapter 2 and a score of at least 80% in the study mentioned in Chapter 3 in the AGREE II, rigour of development domain. The CPGs with high-quality recommendations were those that scored greater than 60% in Domain 1 (Clinical Applicability) of the AGREE-REX. Of the 63 selected CPGs, 17 (27%) were high quality, and 7 (11.1%) had recommendations of high quality. Factors associated with higher quality were conflict of interest management, multi-professional team, and type of institution. Inclusion of a patients representative on the team was associated with higher quality recommendations. Most CPGs agreed with the need to reassess diagnoses, comorbidities, and treatment adherence. They also agreed on adjusting antidepressant dosage and providing psychotherapy as a first step for patients who do not respond to first-line antidepressant treatment. There are significant shortcomings in the recommendations. In particular, the lack of a standardized definition of adequate, inadequate, or partial response to treatment and the lack of clarity surrounding the duration of treatment required to establish TRD. All CPGs included the possibility of antidepressant substitution, potentiation with other drugs, and a combination of antidepressants. However, three CPGs did not recommend a preferred sequence for these interventions. Finally, of the 17 high-quality CPGs and the 7 CPGs with high-quality recommendations, only two included definition and recommendations for TRD. There is no consensus among the high-quality CPGs regarding the definition and use of the term TRD. Ultimately, finding a convergent therapeutic strategy for TRD in adults was not possible. These results highlighted the need to focus more on improving the quality of CPGs and their recommendations, especially in the subgroups related to inadequate response to treatment and TRD, where definitions are unclear

A Comparative study of insight in patients of depressive spectrum disorders attending outpatient department of tertiary care centre.

Introduction: Poor insight is a common feature of bipolar depression and unipolar depression with and without psychotic symptoms (PS) which may lead to poor clinical outcome. Studies on insight in these populations are relatively limited and the majority of studies were published over the previous decade. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, observation study conducted in Psychiatry O.P.D. of tertiary care hospital. The sample consisted cohort of 20 outpatients each with unipolar depression, unipolar depression with psychotic symptoms and bipolar disorder current episode depression with psychotic symptoms. The depression was assessed by HAM-D and insight by Item G12 of the General Psychopathology section of PANSS. Results: Significant difference in insight is seen in all three groups. Bipolar patients with PS had the poorest insight, patients with unipolar depression had best. Statistically significant correlation is present with older age and lack of insight among patients of unipolar depression with PS (rho =.599, P =.005) and bipolar depression with PS (rho =.686 P=.001). Conclusion: Insight in depressive illness is affected by multiple factors; this study shows that age, bipolarity and presence of psychotic symptoms are associated with poor insight. Management of the patients of depressive spectrum should incorporate strategies to improve insight

Combinación de antidepresivos vs. aumentación con antipsicóticos atípicos tras no lograr la remisión en la depresión unipolar / Combination of antidepressants vs. augmentation with atypical antipsychotics upon failure to achieve remission in unipolar depression

RESUMEN: Introducción: Lograr la recuperación funcional lo más rápido posible en el tratamiento de la depresión unipolar es un reto que la práctica clínica debe tratar de afrontar en la actualidad, ya que cualquier retraso en lograr la remisión de los síntomas es predictivo de un mayor número de recurrencias y mayores tasas de morbimortalidad. En esta revisión comprensiva, nuestro objetivo es guiar a los clínicos en su elección de aumentar con antipsicóticos atípicos o combinar el fármaco de referencia con un segundo antidepresivo, después de que se haya optimizado la dosis del antidepresivo seleccionado inicialmente y/o se haya cambiado el antidepresivo, sin lograr remisión, o bien cuando solo han obtenido una respuesta parcial después de un tiempo suficiente a una dosis apropiada. Estas decisiones surgen con frecuencia en la práctica clínica diaria. Metodología: Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática en PubMed bajo varias combinaciones clave de palabras, resultando en 230 informes. Después de aplicar los criterios de inclusión y según el título y el resumen, el número final de informes seleccionados para la revisión completa fue de 113. Se respondieron dos preguntas principales con base en estos estudios: 1) ¿Existe evidencia para recomendar claramente la combinación de antidepresivos versus potenciación con antipsicóticos (y el momento correcto para hacerlo) en la depresión unipolar no respondedora, una vez que las estrategias de optimización o de cambio han fallado en obtener la remisión? y 2) ¿Es posible identificar algunas características clínicas para guiar la decisión de combinación de antidepresivos versus potenciación con agentes antipsicóticos? Resultados: Según nuestro análisis, no hay datos disponibles para seleccionar una estrategia de otra de manera clara. Sin embargo, sugerimos favorecer una combinación o estrategia de aumento, basada en un enfoque de "tratamiento contra objetivos dianas" para perfilar al paciente, considerando una o dos características clínicas predominantes que permanecen activas como parte de una depresión mayor con respuesta parcial. Un adecuado análisis de los dominios sintomáticos presentes, una visión crítica de las guías clínicas actuales y de las opciones preferidas, considerar la bipolaridad oculta como uno de los principales diagnósticos diferenciales y adoptar una actitud enérgica pero lúcida en esta etapa del tratamiento son, a nuestro juicio, fundamentales para lograr recuperación ad integrum del paciente.

ABSTRACT Introduction: achieving functional recovery as quickly as possible in the treatment of unipolar depression is a challenge that clinical practice must try to meet nowadays, since any delay in accomplishing remission of the symptoms is predictive of a larger number of recurrences and higher morbidity and mortality rates. In this topical review we aim to guide clinicians in their choice to augment with atypical antipsychotics or to combine the baseline drug with a second antidepressant, after the dose of the antidepressant initially selected has been optimized and/or the antidepressant has been changed, not achieving remission, or resulting only in a partial response after sufficient time at an appropriate dose. These decisions arise frequently in everyday clinical practice. Methodology: a systematic search in PubMed was performed under several key combinations of words, resulting in 230 reports. After applying inclusion criteria and based in title and abstract, the final number of reports selected for full revision were 113. Two main questions were answered based on these studies: 1) Is there evidence to clearly recommend combination of antidepressants vs. augmentation with antipsychotics (and the correct moment to do it) in non-responsive unipolar depression, once optimization or switching strategies have failed to obtain remission? and 2) Is it possible to identify some clinical features to guide the decision of combination of antidepressants vs. augmentation with antipsychotic agents? Results: According to our analysis, there is no data available to select one strategy from another in a clear-cut manner. Nevertheless, we suggest favoring a combination or augmentation strategy, based in a "treating to target" approach to profile the patient, considering one or two predominant clinical features that remain active as part of a major depression with partial response. Proper analysis of the symptomatic domains present, a critical view of current clinical guidelines and preferred options, considering hidden bipolarity as one of the main differential diagnoses and adopting an energetic but lucid attitude at this stage of treatment are, in our view, fundamental for achieving ad integrum patient recovery.

Study on Impedance of Implantable Cardiac Pacemaker in Unipolar/Bipolar Pacing Mode by in Vitro Experiment / 中国医疗器械杂志

The unipolar/bipolar pacing mode of pacemaker is related to its circuit impedance, which affects the battery life. In this study, the in vitro experiment scheme of pacemaker circuit impedance test was constructed. The human blood environment was simulated by NaCl solution, and the experimental environment temperature was controlled by water bath. The results of in vitro experiments showed that under the experimental conditions similar to clinical human parameters, the difference between the circuit impedance of bipolar mode and unipolar mode is 120~200 Ω. The results of the in vitro experiment confirmed that the circuit impedance of bipolar circuit was larger than that of unipolar mode, which was found in clinical practice. The results of this study have reference value to the optimization of pacing mode and the reduction of pacemaker power consumption.

The impact of cognitive emotion regulation strategies on adolescents with unipolar depression and bipolar depression / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To explore the impact of different dimensions of cognitive emotion regulation strategies on adolescents with unipolar depression and bipolar depression.Methods:From June 2019 to July 2021, a total of 216 adolescents with depressive disorder were selected, including 134 patients in unipolar depression group, 82 patients in bipolar depression group, and 111 normal controls were selected at the same time.Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) and cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire (CERQ) were used to evaluate the emotional symptoms and cognitive emotion regulation strategies of all enrolled subjects. SPSS 23.0 was used for statistical analysis of the data. Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test and multiple Logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis.Results:There were significant differences in the dimensions of cognitive emotion regulation strategies and emotional symptoms among the three groups (all P<0.01). The scores of self-blame (14.00(12.00, 17.00), 13.50(12.00, 16.00), 12.00(11.00, 12.00)), rumination (15.00(12.00, 19.00), 14.00(12.00, 17.00), 12.00(10.00, 13.00)) and catastrophizing (13.00(11.00, 17.00), 12.00(9.00, 16.00), 8.00(6.00, 12.00)) in bipolar depression group and unipolar depression group were significantly higher than those in normal control group (all P<0.01). The score of blaming others (11.00(8.75, 13.25), 9.00(8.00, 12.00)) in bipolar depression group was significantly higher than that in normal control group ( P<0.01). The score of positive reappraisal (12.00(12.00, 15.00), 11.00(8.75, 13.00)) in normal control group was significantly higher than that in unipolar depression group ( P<0.01). The putting into perspective score(10.00(8.00, 12.00), 12.00(10.00, 13.25), 12.00(10.00, 13.00)) of normal control group was significantly lower than those of unipolar depression and bipolar depression group (both P<0.01). The scores of HAMD (25.00(22.00, 26.25), 23.00(18.00, 28.00), 3.00(0, 6.00)) and HAMA (17.00(14.00, 21.00), 20.00(16.00, 27.00), 1.00(0, 3.00)) both in unipolar depression group and bipolar depression group were significantly higher than that in normal control group (both P<0.01). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that self-blame, rumination, and catastrophizing were risk factors for unipolar depression ( OR=1.19, 95% CI=1.05-1.35; OR=1.17, 95% CI= 1.06-1.30; OR=1.14, 95% CI=1.02-1.27) and bipolar depression( OR=1.30, 95% CI=1.14-1.50; OR=1.21, 95% CI=1.07-1.36; OR=1.13, 95% CI=1.01-1.28) compared to normal controls, while positive reappraisal were protective factors for unipolar depression ( OR=0.83, 95% CI=0.73-0.95) and bipolar depression ( OR=0.84, 95% CI=0.73-0.98). However, after controlling for HAMD, HAMA and gender, the effects of each dimension of cognitive emotion regulation strategies on unipolar depression and bipolar depression were no longer significant(both P>0.05). Conclusion:The negative cognitive emotion regulation strategies are correlated with the risk of disease in adolescents with unipolar and bipolar depression, and this effect is affected by the patients' own depression, anxiety and other factors.

Manía unipolar: un ineludible diagnóstico: revisión de la literatura a propósito de un caso / Unipolar mania: an unavoidable diagnosis: case report and literature review

Resumen Introducción: La manía unipolar (MU) es un trastorno que se comporta de manera distinta al trastorno bipolar-I (TB-I), sin embargo, no es considerado como una entidad independiente por los manuales diagnósticos vigentes, sino que es incluido dentro del diagnóstico de TB-I. Caso clínico: Hombre de 21 años presenta cuadro clínico de 3 meses de evolución caracterizado por ánimo exaltado y síntomas psicóticos congruentes al estado de ánimo. El paciente niega episodios depresivos previos. Se instaura tratamiento con litio y aripiprazol que resulta satisfactorio, sin presentar recurrencias tras 5 años de seguimiento. Revisión de la literatura y discusión: Los manuales diagnósticos describen que para diagnosticar TB-I no se requiere la presencia de un episodio depresivo mayor, lo que implica que pacientes con MU quedan dentro de la misma categoría diagnóstica que pacientes con TB-I. Diferencias entre MU y TB-I han sido demostradas en estudios epidemiológicos, clínicos y genéticos, por lo tanto, incluir pacientes heterogéneos dentro de la misma categoría podría dificultar la interpretación de estudios y limitar los avances en el conocimiento de ambos trastornos. Conclusión: De la revisión de la literatura se sugiere que la MU debe ser reconocida como un diagnóstico independiente. A pesar de su baja prevalencia, al validarlo como tal, en un futuro podríamos contar con mayor cantidad y mejor calidad de datos sobre este. De esta forma se podrá definir de manera más concreta sus características distintivas, y por consiguiente mejorar el abordaje clínico de estos pacientes.

Introduction: Unipolar mania (UM) is a disorder that behaves differently from bipolar-I disorder (BP-I), however, it is not considered an independent entity by current diagnostic manuals, but rather included within the diagnosis of BP-I. Case report: A 21-year-old man presented a 3-month-long episode characterized by exalted mood and mood-congruent psychotic symptoms. The patient denies previous depressive episodes. Treatment with lithium and aripiprazole was established, which was satisfactory, not showing recurrence after 5 years of follow-up. Literature review and discussion: Diagnostic manuals describe that to diagnose BP-I the presence of a major depressive episode is not required, which implies that patients with UM fall into the same diagnostic category as patients with BP-I. Differences between UM and BP-I have been demonstrated in epidemiological, clinical, and genetic studies, therefore, including heterogeneous patients within the same category could hinder the interpretation of studies and limit advances in the knowledge of both disorders. Conclusion: Based on the literature review, it is suggested that UM should be recognized as an independent diagnosis. Despite its low prevalence, by validating it as such, in the future we could have more and better-quality data about this diagnosis. In this way, its distinctive characteristics can be defined more concretely, and therefore improve the clinical approach of these patients.

Comparison of Metacognitive Beliefs Between Patients with Unipolar Depression and Bipolar Depression

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of this article is to compare differences in metacognitive beliefs between bipolar disorder type I depressed (BPD1) patients with Unipolar Depression (UPD) patients, and a control group; and to discuss the relationship between metacognitive beliefs and depression parameters. Methods: Sixty six consecutive outpatients with a diagnosis of depressed BPD1, 70 patients with UPD and 70 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Following assessment with the Sociodemographic Data Form, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scales (HAM-A), Young Mania Evaluation Scale, and the Metacognition Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30). Results: UPD and BPD1 patients included in the study had higher scores in metacognitive beliefs other than positive beliefs compared with healthy controls (p<0.05), but no significant difference was found between the BPD1 and UPD groups (p>0.05). A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between the HAM-A, HAM-D scores and MCQ-30 scores in UPD group (p<0.05) but not in BPD1 group (p>0.05). Discussion: The metacogitive structures of UPD and BPD1, may be helpful in identifying and choosing the right treatment modality. We think that our results may have implications for the metacognitive approaches in the treatment of BPD1.

Prognostic Factors in Recurrent Congenital Muscular Torticollis

@#Introduction: Congenital muscular torticollis (CMT), primarily resulting from unilateral shortening and fibrosis of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. One of the common surgical complications is recurrent deformity. However, the associations between unipolar or bipolar release, age of the patient, and the recurrence of the disease are unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors associated with recurrence after surgery. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review was performed in 47 patients who were diagnosed with CMT and had been treated surgically with unipolar or bipolar release between January 2007 and December 2015. Demographic data (sex, sides, surgical technique, age at time of surgery, period of follow-up, complications and recurrence) were recorded. Results: Forty-seven patients with an average age of 8.7 years old at time of surgery. Twenty-six patients had rightsided muscular torticollis, while 21 had left-sided. The average follow-up time was 2 years (range, 2–4 years). The average age of unipolar release was 8.8 years old (range, 2- 18 years old), while the average age of bipolar release was 8.7 years old (range, 2–13 years old). Recurrence occurred in 11 patients (9 in unipolar and 2 in bipolar release). Sex, side of deformity, type of surgery and age at time of surgery showed no statistically significant as a factor for recurrence rate, however recurrence of unipolar more than bipolar surgery was nearly two times revealing clinical significance. Conclusions: Sex, side of deformity, type of surgery and age at time of surgery were not associated with the recurrence deformity.

Unipolar pedicled latissimus dorsi transfer for elbow reanimation in traumatic brachial plexus injuries

Background: Brachial plexus injuries are troubling for the patients socially, economically and emotionally. Elbow joint being a large and vital joint needs to be reanimated so that the patient can carry out his routine work and bring the hand to the mouth. Number of procedures have been defined but latissimus dorsi being a large muscle is the muscle of choice for transfer in cases who present late. Bipolar latissimus dorsi transfers have often been reported but unipolar latissimus dorsi transfer has also been described. Authors have studied the unipolar muscle transfer, it’s surgical technique and results.Methods: In this study 18 patients were studied for demographic data, pre- and post-operative flexion of the elbow and the MRC grade of the corresponding movements. Diagnostic work up in the form of nerve conduction velocity, electromyography and magnetic resonance imaging were carried out and evaluated for their significance in traumatic brachial plexus injuries.Results: In this study 13 patients had avulsion of the C5-6 roots on magnetic resonance imaging. The patients presented after a period of 128.83±56.76 days. Substantial time elapsed and ruled out primary brachial plexus reconstruction or nerve transfers. The average elbow flexion improved from 6.67±5.69 degrees (range: 0-20 degrees) to 86.94±12.38 degrees (range: 65-110 degrees) following unipolar latissimus dorsi transfer. 12 patients (66.67%) developed M4 or M4+ power.Conclusions: Unipolar latissimus dorsi muscle transfer is a reliable method and most of the patients develop adequate strength and satisfactory function at the elbow joint.

Depresión en el embarazo / Depression in Pregnancy

RESUMEN Introducción: La depresión es la morbilidad psiquiátrica más común en el embarazo, y llega a afectar a más del 13% de las gestantes. Su diagnóstico se basa en los criterios establecidos por el DSM-V y la aplicación de escalas validadas como la Escala de Depresión Posnatal de Edimburgo; sin embargo, entre los profesionales de la salud aún existen errores y falencias en el reconocimiento, el diagnóstico y el tratamiento de la depresión durante el embarazo, lo que propicia las diferentes consecuencias y repercusiones para la gestación misma o el feto. Objetivo: Presentar una revisión de tema acerca de la depresión en el embarazo, sus factores de riesgo, las características clínicas, las complicaciones y el tratamiento. Métodos: Se utilizaron las bases de datos PubMed y LILACS para la búsqueda de manuscritos; de 223 artículos, 55 cumplían los criterios de inclusión. Resultados: En Sudamérica se registra una prevalencia de aproximadamente el 29%. Los factores de riesgo con mayor significación son el abuso sexual, la edad temprana al embarazo y la violencia intrafamiliar. Por ello, el diagnóstico temprano favorece la disminución en las conductas de riesgo, los trastornos del neurodesarrollo fetal y los resultados obstétricos. Conclusiones: La depresión en el embarazo es una afección frecuente; no obstante, se presenta subregistro por la atribución de los síntomas a la gestación misma. Se recomienda el uso de antidepresivos como los inhibidores de la recaptación de serotonina, especialmente la fluoxetina, que no sea ha relacionado con teratogenicidad, además de la implementación de tratamiento no farmacológico como psicoterapia, mindfulness y ejercicio aeróbico. La sensibilización del personal de salud permitirá el diagnóstico y el tratamiento adecuados de esta enfermedad.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Depression is the most common psychiatric morbidity in pregnancy, affecting more than 13% of pregnant women. Its diagnosis is based on the criteria established by the DSM-5 and the application of validated scales such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. However, there are still errors and shortcomings among healthcare professionals in the recognition, diagnosis and treatment of depression during pregnancy, with the resulting consequences and repercussions on the gestation itself or the foetus. Objective: To present a review of depression in pregnancy, its risk factors, clinical characteristics, complications and treatment. Methods: The PubMed and LILACS databases were used to search for manuscripts. Of the 223 articles found, 55 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Results: The prevalence of depression in pregnancy in South America is approximately 29% and the most significant risk factors are sexual abuse, pregnancy at an early age and intrafamily violence. Therefore, early diagnosis favours a reduction in risk behaviour, foetal neurodevelopmental disorders and obstetric outcomes. Conclusions: Depression in pregnancy is common condition but is underreported as its symptoms are often attributed to the pregnancy itself. The use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants, particularly fluoxetine, which has not been associated with teratogenicity, is recommended, in addition to the implementation of non-pharmacological treatment such as psychotherapy, mindfulness and aerobic exercise. Educating healthcare professionals will facilitate the correct diagnosis and treatment of this condition.

Comparisons of exploratory eye movement, adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol levels in bipolar and unipolar depression aged patients / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

To explore the characteristics of exploratory eye movement (EEM) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) in elderly patients with acute bipolar and unipolar depression. Methods Thirty-eight elderly patients with bipolar depression (bipolar group) and thirty-nine patients with unipolar depression (unipolar group) were enrolled. The 24-item Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD-24) was used to evaluate depressive symptoms. The levels of peripheral serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol (COR) were detected. EEM was recorded to obtain the number of eye fixation (NEF), responsive search score (RSS) and discriminant analysis (D). Results Compared with the unipolar group, the bipolar group had earlier onset, longer duration, and more admissions (P＜0.05). In comparison with the bipolar group, the unipolar group had higher levels of ACTH and COR (P＜0.05), and higher abnormal proportion of COR and ACTH levels. D-values were higher and RSS-values were lower in unipolar group than in bipolar group. There were no significant differences in NEF and HAMD total scores and its subfactors between the two groups (P＞0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the D value of unipolar group was positively correlated with COR level (r=0.482, P=0.002) but not with other indexes (P＞0.05). There were no significant correlations between EEM parameters and serum levels of HPA hormones in bipolar group (P＞0.05). Conclusion There are different clinical features, EEM indicators, the serum levels of ACTH and COR between acute unipolar and bipolar depression, which suggests the heterogeneity between the two diseases.

Effect of antidepressant therapy on blood glucose and blood lipid in patients with unipolar depression / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

Objective: This study investigated the occurrence and possible causes of metabolic abnormalities in patients with unipolar depression. Methods: We recruited 103 hospitalized patients with unipolar depression and 100 healthy controls. The patient group was treated with antidepressants for 3 weeks. Metabolic indicators (fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein) were measured before and after treatment. Results: Fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein were significantly higher in patients with unipolar depression than in healthy controls (P0.05). After treatment with antidepressants, serum fasting blood glucose level was significantly lower than the baseline value (P<0.05). Fasting blood glucose and total cholesterol were significantly higher in patients with recurrent unipolar depression than in the healthy controls (P=0.049, P=0.031). The patients aged above 30 years had significantly higher fasting blood glucose and total cholesterol levels than those aged 30 or younger (P=0.001, P=0.016). Fasting blood glucose level was positively correlated with the number of episodes, and a regression equation could be established as Yfasting blood glucose=0.26xincidence times +4.01. Conclusion: Repeated episodes of depression increase the risk of metabolic problems. Antidepressant treatment helps improve fasting blood glucose. The risk of unilateral depression metabolism may be related to the recurrent disease and has little to do with drug treatment.

Recent advance in distinguishing unipolar depression and bipolar depression based on MR imaging / 中华神经医学杂志

Both unipolar depression (UD) and bipolar depression (BD) have obvious depression symptoms.Clinically,UD and BD are often misdiagnosed.Recently,MR imaging (MRI) has been used to detect biomarkers distinguishing BD and UD.This study will summarize previous studies on detecting biomarkers to distinguish BD and UD based on structural MRI,diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional MRI.Based on the current issues of previous studies,we further make prospective development of future studies in this field.

Detection and clinical study of serum thyroid hormone levels in patients with depression / 国际检验医学杂志

Objective To investigate the changes and clinical significance of thyroid function in patients with depression by detecting serum thyroid hormone levels.Methods Totally 127cases of depression in the Department of Psychiatric of our hospital from January 2016to January 2018were collected as research objects.According to the characteristics of depression, patients with unipolar depression were selected as unipolar group (n=45), while patients with bipolar depression were selected as bipolar group (n=82).Meanwhile, 53cases of healthy volunteers underwent physical examination in the same period in our hospital were collected as control group.The serum samples of three groups were collected and the serum levels of thyroid hormones (T3, T4, FT3, FT4, TSH) were detected by chemiluminescence immunoassay.The changes of thyroid function between the three groups were compared and analyzed.Results The proportion of patients with T3and T4decreased in unipolar group were significantly higher than those in bipolar group, and the proportion of patients with T3increased in unipolar group was significantly lower than that in bipolar group, and the proportion of patients with FT4decreased in unipolar group was significantly higher than that in bipolar group;and the proportion of patients with TSH increased and TSH decreased in unipolar group were significantly higher than those in bipolar group, the differences were statistically significant (P＜0.05).The level of FT3in unipolar group was significantly lower than that in bipolar group (P＜0.05), while the level of FT4in unipolar group was significantly lower than that in control group and bipolar group, and the differences were statistically significant (P＜0.05).Conclusion The level of thyroid hormone in patients with different types of depression was different, so the treatment should be distinguished.Psychological treatment should be focused on the unipolar depression patients with hypothyroidism, while attention should be paid to drug treatment for bipolar depression patients with high levels of free thyroid hormone.

Comparison of Psychological Characteristics of Lesch Types 2 (Anxiety Model) and 3 (Depressive Model) Alcoholism / 우울ㆍ조울병

BACKGROUND: Lesch types 2 (L2, anxiety model) and 3 (L3, depressive model) of alcoholism exhibit different responses to anti-craving agents, and most treatment guidelines provide differential treatment strategies for bipolar depression (DEP) and unipolar DEP. We compare the psychological characteristics of L2 and L3 alcoholism and between the unipolar and bipolar subgroups.METHODS: We reviewed medical records of patients who were diagnosed with alcohol use disorder using the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and classified as L2 and L3 using Lesch Alcohol typology software. All patients completed self-report scales (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT], Beck Anxiety Inventory [BAI], Beck Depression Inventory-II [BDI-II], and Korean Symptom Checklist-95 [KSCL95]). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test, and ANOVA.RESULTS: Of the 43 patients, 23 were assigned L2, and 20 were assigned L3. The scores for the KSCL95 subscales fell generally in the increasing order of the L2-unipolar (L2U, n=10), L2-bipolar (L2B, n=13), L3-unipolar (L3U, n=11), and L3-bipolar (L3B, n=9) types. The L3B scores were greater than the L3U scores for most KSCL95 subscales, by contrast with the DEP and BAI scores.CONCLUSION: We found psychological differences between L2 and L3 and identified the unique psychological characteristics for each subgroup by polarity. The psychological characteristics of these subgroups of alcohol use disorder may help improve the treatment success rates through individualized treatment strategies.

Combined Measures of Psychomotor and Cognitive Alterations as a Potential Hallmark for Bipolar Depression

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to examine whether specific features of psychomotor retardation (PMR) and cognitive functioning established different profiles in unipolar (UD) and bipolar depression (BD).METHODS: Two groups of age-matched patients with UD (n=54) and BD (n=20) completed the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS/60), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA/30), and the Salpêtrière Retardation Rating Scale (SRRS/60). We analyzed the group effect and then performed intra-group analyses.RESULTS: The BD patients have higher SRRS score, and lower MoCA score than UD despite no difference on the level of depression between UD and BD. Our results show that PMR can be predicted by the level of depression in UD and by the cognitive alteration and onset of disease in BD.CONCLUSION: PMR is a relevant marker of depression. Our results highlight the importance of concomitant evaluation of psychomotor and cognitive functions in the distinction of UD and BD symptoms.

Clinical outcomes of psychotherapy dropouts: does dropping out of psychotherapy necessarily mean failure?

Objective: A large proportion of psychotherapy patients remain untreated, mostly because they drop out. This study compares the short- and long-term outcomes of patients who dropped out of psychotherapy to those of therapy completers. Methods: The sample included 63 patients (23 dropouts and 40 completers) from a controlled clinical trial, which compared narrative therapy vs. cognitive-behavioral therapy for major depressive disorder. Patients were assessed at the eighth session, post-treatment, and at 31-month follow-up. Results: Dropouts improved less than completers by the last session attended, but continued to improve significantly more than completers during the follow-up period. Some dropout patients improved with a small dose of therapy (17% achieved a clinically significant change before abandoning treatment), while others only achieved clinically significant change after a longer period (62% at 31-month follow-up). Conclusion: These results emphasize the importance of dealing effectively with patients at risk of dropping out of therapy.Patients who dropped out also reported improvement of depressive symptoms without therapy, but took much longer to improve than did patients who completed therapy. This might be attributable to natural remission of depression. Further research should use a larger patient database, ideally gathered by meta-analysis.

Depression and psychodynamic psychotherapy

Depression is a complex condition, and its classical biological/psychosocial distinction is fading. Current guidelines are increasingly advocating psychotherapy as a treatment option. Psychodynamic psychotherapy models encompass a heterogeneous group of interventions derived from early psychoanalytic conceptualizations. Growing literature is raising awareness in the scientific community about the importance of these treatment options, as well as their favorable impact on post-treatment outcomes and relapse prevention. Considering the shifting paradigm regarding treatment of depressive disorder, the authors aim to provide a brief overview of the definition and theoretical basis of psychodynamic psychotherapy, as well as evaluate current evidence for its effectiveness.

Effectiveness evaluation of mood disorder treatment algorithms in Brazilian public healthcare patients

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of three mood disorder treatment algorithms in a sample of patients seeking care in the Brazilian public healthcare system. Methods: A randomized pragmatic trial was conducted with an algorithm developed for treating episodes of major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar depressive episodes and mixed episodes of bipolar disorder (BD). Results: The sample consisted of 259 subjects diagnosed with BD or MDD (DSM-IV-TR). After the onset of symptoms, the first treatment occurred ∼6 years and the use of mood stabilizers began ∼12 years. All proposed algorithms were effective, with response rates around 80%. The majority of the subjects took 20 weeks to obtain a therapeutic response. Conclusions: The algorithms were effective with the medications available through the Brazilian Unified Health System. Because therapeutic response was achieved in most subjects by 20 weeks, a follow-up period longer than 12 weeks may be required to confirm adequate response to treatment. Remission of symptoms is still the main desired outcome. Subjects who achieved remission recovered more rapidly and remained more stable over time. Clinical trial registration: NCT02901249, NCT02870283, NCT02918097

Comparison of efficacy of unipolar and bipolar radiofrequency ablation in clinical treatment of rheumatic valvular heart disease / 中国现代医生

Objective To study and compare the effect of radiofrequency ablation of unipolar and bipolar in clinical treatment of patients with rheumatic valvular heart disease. Methods 120 patients with rheumatic valvular heart disease who were admitted in the hospital from January 2013 to January 2017 were selected as research subjects and divided into unipolar group and bipolar group. The extracorporeal circulation time and radiofrequency ablation time, the incidence of complications, and the postoperative left atrium diameter between two groups of patients were compared. Results The radiofrequency ablation time and the extracorporeal circulation time were lower in the bipolar group than those in the unipolar group (P＜0. 05). The atrial fibrillation elimination rate in the bipolar group was higher than that in the unipolar group(P＜0. 05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of disease(P＞0. 05). The left atrial diameter in both groups was significantly reduced after surgery (P＜0. 05). Conclusion Both unipolar and bipolar radiofre quency ablation have a good clinical effect in the treatment of rheumatic valvular disease, which is beneficial to improve the clinical symptoms of patients. Bipolar radiofrequency ablation is superior to unipolar in radiofrequency ablation time and extracorporeal circulation time, with good clinical treatment effect.