Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy in Catatonia: Clinical Profiles From a Case Series.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to conduct a descriptive analysis of the clinical features and treatment responses in 6 patients with catatonia who received maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). METHODS: Our study included all patients who underwent maintenance ECT (mECT) at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona between September 2020 and September 2022 following a catatonic episode. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 5 patients with schizophrenia and 1 patient with major depressive disorder. Among patients with schizophrenia, the first catatonic episode occurred several years after their initial paranoid psychotic episode, whereas the patient with depression experienced a rapid progression from the first depressive episode to catatonia. After acute ECT, 4 patients achieved complete symptomatic remission, 1 patient exhibited a partial response, and another maintained a severe catatonic state. Maintenance ECT was indicated because of the high risk of severe relapses. The mean frequency of mECT sessions was 9.83 (SD, 5.60) days. Notably, 66.67% of the patients were concurrently receiving clozapine as part of their pharmacological treatment. Among patients with schizophrenia, mECT sessions could not be extended beyond 7 to 10 days, whereas the depressed patient could space ECT sessions up to 21 days without experiencing a relapse. CONCLUSIONS: Maintenance ECT proves to be a safe and well-tolerated strategy for preventing relapses in severe catatonic patients who have previously stabilized with acute ECT. Further research is needed to develop clinical guidelines that define optimal application strategies for mECT in catatonia.

Catatonic postpartum paternal depression as a first debut of a bipolar disorder: a case report.

Paternal postpartum depression (PD) is considered an affective disorder that affects fathers during the months following childbirth. Interestingly, it has been observed that during these months the chances of a male parent suffering from depression are double that for a non-parent male counterpart. We present the case of a 34-year-old man with no relevant medical history in who, overlapping her daughter's birth, several depressive symptoms emerged, such as fatigue, lack of concentration, sleeping disturbances and abandonment of care of the newborn. Prior to consultation, patient refused to eat and open his eyes, and his speech became progressively more parsimonious until reaching mutism. The patient was diagnosed with a severe depressive disorder with catatonia. Given the lack of improvement with pharmacological treatment and due to the evidence of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)'s effectiveness on patients with catatonia, acute ECT treatment was indicated and started. It should be noted that PD is an important entity to consider in our differential diagnosis of young parents who present a depressive episode. Few cases of relatively young patients presenting with such clinical presentation have been described and, although this case presents some of the characteristics described in the epidemiology of PD, other clinical aspects are not typical of this entity. Informed consent was obtained from the patient for the purpose of publication.

Deep brain stimulation and digital monitoring for patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: A case series.

AIM: The use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been recently extended for treating resistant psychiatric disorders, but the experience in patients with schizophrenia-related disorders and bipolar disorder (BD) is scarce. METHOD: We conducted an observational, one-year longitudinal study to evaluate the effects of DBS in four treatment-resistant patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and BD, included in a pilot, last-resource protocol. Patients were digitally monitored for objective assessment of behavioral changes. RESULTS: After one year of its initiation, DBS of the nucleus accumbens (in subjects N2, N3, and N4) and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (in N1) produced a significant clinical improvement, associated with decreases in the Clinical Global Impression (from 5.25±0.5 to 3.5±1, p=0.035) and in the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HADRS scores, from 14.5±6.56 to 1.5±1.29, p=0.020). We observed a notable, durable therapeutic response in two patients from this cohort (N1 and N3), a clinically relevant relief in a third (N2), and a lack of a significant response in the last one (N4). Maintenance electroconvulsive therapy sessions could be discontinued in the three patients that responded to DBS (N1-3). There were no side effects or relevant changes in cognitive functioning. There were relevant differences between physical activity and sleep time among the four participants. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest initial evidence that DBS may be an effective and safe alternative for treating complex and resistant forms of schizophrenia-related disorders and BD. Digital monitoring may help to capture objective measures of behavioral changes after the intervention.

Nurse-led lifestyle intervention in a cohort of schizophrenia patients treated with clozapine.

Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia are characterized by early mortality compared to the general population. The main cause of this premature death reflects medical complications linked to metabolic syndrome (MetS). The use of antipsychotics such as clozapine is associated with weight gain and metabolic disturbances in certain predisposed individuals. Non-pharmacological interventions for weight control have become a key element for secondary prevention in the health of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Here, we aim to evaluate the physical health effects of a nurse-led non-pharmacological intervention program in patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia treated with clozapine. Thirty-one outpatients from the outpatient clinical facility of Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, Spain diagnosed with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders receiving clozapine treatment were enrolled in a prospective interventional study, comprising an 8-week group program of therapeutic education in a healthy lifestyle. MetS factors, physical activity, diet, and lifestyle were evaluated at baseline, post-intervention (8 weeks), and 3 months after the program. Weight, body mass index, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and diet patterns displayed significant differences post-intervention and after 3 months, while only waist, hip perimeter, and lifestyle improved post-intervention. Our results suggest the effectiveness of the lifestyle intervention in patients under clozapine treatment despite its long-time differential effect. Strategies to prevent weight gain and metabolic decline will help prevent premature cardiometabolic disease in this vulnerable population.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms in a patient under cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator modulators treatment: a case report.

In recent times, some research has focused on the study of potential treatments for cystic fibrosis (CF), such as cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators. These treatments have been reported to produce neuropsychiatric symptoms in a few patients, even though there is still no clear correlation nor underlying mechanism proposed. We present the case of a 23-year-old woman with CF and no previous psychiatric history who was admitted to our inpatient psychiatric unit presenting a wide range of neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as disorganized speech, bizarre poses or persecutory delusional ideation, after going under CFTR modulators treatment. After several diagnostic tests, other possible organic causes were ruled out. Multiple antipsychotic treatments were tested during her admission, with poor tolerance and scarce response. Finally, symptomatic remission was only observed after electroconvulsive therapy was initiated. The final diagnostic hypothesis was unspecified psychosis. This case highlights the relevance of considering the possibility of neuropsychiatric symptoms appearing in patients under CFTR modulators treatment.

Evaluating maintenance electroconvulsive therapy in Bipolar Disorders: 3-year mirror-image study.

BACKGORUND: Maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (mECT) is underused in the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD). We aimed to study the real-life effectiveness of mECT in BD. METHODS: Naturalistic 3-year mirror-image study in individuals diagnosed with BD who underwent mECT at a tertiary hospital. Intra-subject comparisons of psychiatric hospitalization were performed using McNemar test. Days and number of psychiatric hospitalizations before and during mECT were compared through wilcoxon signed-rank test. Mean annual days and mean annual number of psychiatric hospitalizations per patient were compared by means of the rate ratio (RR) estimation through a generalized estimating equation (GEE) model. RESULTS: A total of 43 patients were included and 37 required psychiatric hospitalization during the study. The use of mECT showed an effectiveness of 62.2% for preventing psychiatric hospitalizations (p<0.01). We found significant reduction in days and number of psychiatric hospitalizations during mECT compared to before mECT (p<0.01). Comparison of the 3-year period before/during mECT showed a reduction in mean annual days (RR=0.14; 95%CI: 0.07-0.29) and mean annual number (RR=0.24; 95%CI: 0.13-0.43) of psychiatric hospitalizations, without substantial changes for adjusted models for gender and age of onset of the illness. LIMITATIONS: The main limitations of this study consisted of the mirror-image retrospective naturalistic study design, the relatively small sample size, and possibly patient selection bias. CONCLUSIONS: mECT reduced the number of psychiatric hospitalizations and hospitalization days in BD. The use of mECT outlines a mood stabilizing effect in BD. This naturalistic study supports the effectiveness of mECT in BD across several mood states.

Bipolar disorder and Susac syndrome: a case report.

Susac-syndrome is a rare autoimmune disease that manifests with mood alterations in up to 15% of cases and is usually treated with corticosteroids. We present the case of a 41-year-old woman with a first manic episode and history of Susac-syndrome, secondary Cushing's syndrome after receiving high doses of corticosteroids and a previous depressive episode. Differentiating between primary and secondary mania is difficult, as people with bipolar disorder are prone to multiple psychiatric and nonpsychiatric comorbidities, in this case, the differential diagnosis included secondary mania, corticoid-induced manic episode and primary bipolar disorder. Upon admission, corticosteroid treatment was suspended, and the patient was started on lithium and risperidone. Secondary causes of mania were discarded and, assessing temporal and dosage criteria, it was deemed unlikely that the present episode was corticosteroid-induced. One-year outpatient follow-up pointed towards a primary bipolar type I disorder, as a separate entity from her Susac-syndrome. Corticosteroid use or abrupt withdrawal pose an underestimated risk of inducing depressive or manic symptoms, which may unmask affective disorders in susceptible individuals. Many medical conditions share CNS involvement and/or high-dose/prolonged corticosteroid treatment. In such cases, psychiatric manifestations such as mania or depression should be regarded as secondary and studied to determine the existence of medical complications before considering primary psychiatric conditions.

Totally Implantable Venous-Access Device in Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Retrospective Case Series.

OBJECTIVES: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective and safe treatment of certain severe mental disorders, but there are some barriers to the implementation of continuation/maintenance ECT courses in some cases. Repeated difficulties in achieving intravenous access before each session may contribute to premature ECT discontinuation. The placement of a totally implantable venous-access device (TIVAD) could be an alternative to overcome these difficulties in certain subjects. METHODS: For the present study we retrospectively identified all patients treated with continuation/maintenance ECT in our facilities during a 13-year period to which a TIVAD was implanted, paying attention to specific factors related to clinical characteristics, treatment course, and ECT technique. RESULTS: We identified a TIVAD in 16 (3.33%) of 481 patients receiving ECT in our unit, of whom 87.5% were female. Half of the cases met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) criteria for schizophrenia, 6 for bipolar disorder, and 2 for major depression disorder. Age of the study cases ranged from 17 to 87 years. A total of 1957 ECT sessions were registered in this group of cases during the observation period. Patients had undergone a mean of 124.06 ± 132.41 ECT sessions before the TIVAD was implanted, with the device mean time of utilization being 5.39 ± 3.46 years. In 2 cases, the device was removed after ECT discontinuation. Few incidents associated with the implantation and operation of the TIVAD were registered, comparable to the use of this device in other clinical contexts. CONCLUSIONS: This case series suggest that a TIVAD placement can be an effective and safe solution for patients in continuation/maintenance ECT courses with difficult intravenous access. Future studies will need to carefully monitor the benefit and the potential complications of TIVAD placement in patients undergoing continuation/maintenance ECT programs.

Electroconvulsive therapy protocol adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, electroconvulsive therapy units have had to confront challenges such as the infectious hazard due to aerosol-generating ventilation, or the lack of staff and material resources. Our objective was to elaborate a protocol to make ECT during the COVID-19 pandemic a safer procedure for patients and professionals. METHODS: A multidisciplinary workgroup (including mental health, anesthesia, preventive medicine, and occupational risk professionals) was formed in the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, in March 2020. A core group conducted a review of the scientific literature and healthcare organizations' guidelines and wrote a protocol draft. Then, a discussion with the workgroup was made until consensus was reached. The protocol has been continuously updated. Discussions were made by group e-mailing and video conferencing. RESULTS: The protocol includes the following main areas: (1) ECT unit's structural and functional considerations; (2) SARS-CoV-2 screening protocol; (3) ECT clinical practice adaptation (personal protective equipment, airway management, recovery room, and maintenance of the facilities); (4) management of COVID-19 cases; and (5) protocol assessment. LIMITATIONS: The literature review was not systematic; the consensus was not based on a structured methodology. For other ECT units, local advisories may not be valid, and resource shortages (such as anesthetist availability, or the lack of respirators and PCR tests) may impede or prevent their implementation. CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, ECT should continue to be advocated as an essential medical procedure. It is recommended that each ECT unit develop its own protocol. This proposal may be used as a reference.

"Do depressive and manic symptoms differentially impact on functioning in acute depression? Results from a large, cross-sectional study".

BACKGROUND: Diagnostic criteria for a major depressive episode capture heterogeneous presentations across unipolar (UD) and bipolar (BD) and first-onset (FDE) depression. We evaluated the contribution of each depressive and (hypo)manic symptom to worse functioning in UD/BD/FDE subgroups. METHODS: A post-hoc analysis of the BRIDGE-II-Mix study. Acutely depressed patients were stratified into UD, BD and FDE. Each (hypo)manic or depressive symptom was included in a diagnosis-specific logistic regression model with functioning as dependent variable. Better/worse functioning was set with median diagnosis-specific GAF scores cutoffs. All p values were two-tailed. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 2768/2811 depressed individuals were enrolled. In BD (N = 716), "recurrent thoughts of death" (OR 2.48, p < 0.0001) and "feelings of worthlessness" (OR 2.28, p < 0.0001) among depressive symptoms, "aggressiveness" (OR 1.67, p = 0.022) as the unique (hypo)manic symptom, significantly contributed to worse functioning. In UD (N = 1357), "depressed mood" (OR 5.6, p = 0.031) and "diminished interest or pleasure" (OR 4.77, p < 0.0001) among depressive, "grandiosity" (OR 3.5, p = 0.014) among (hypo)manic symptoms, most significantly contributed to worse functioning. In FDE (N = 677) "recurrent thoughts of death" (OR 1.99, p < 0.0001) and "insomnia/hypersomnia" (OR 1.88, p = 0.039) among depressive, "grandiosity" (OR 5.98, p = 0.038) as (hypo)manic symptoms significantly contributed to worse functioning. LIMITATIONS: The post-hoc and cross-sectional design do not allow for prognostic or causal inferences. CONCLUSIONS: Key depressive and (hypo)manic symptoms distinctively associate with worse functional outcome in acute depression, with differential diagnostic-specific magnitude of effect. Core depressive symptoms are associated with worse functioning in unipolar depression, but not in bipolar or first-episode depression.

Inducción de manía por inhibidores de la colinesterasa: evidencia empírica a través de datos observacionales / Mania induced by cholinesterase inhibitors: empirical evidence from observational data

OBJETIVOS: Evaluar si los inhibidores de la colinesterasa pueden inducir manía, y determinar si este efecto puede estar relacionado con estados u otras características previas de los pacientes. MÉTODO: Se realizó una revisión sistemática, incluyendo artículos publicados en ISI Web of Knowledge y PubMed, desde enero de 1990 a marzo de 2018, siguiendo criterios PRISMA. RESULTADOS: De 326 estudios identificados, se incluyeron en la revisión 16. En los casos comunicados hay una correlación entre la introducción de un inhibidor de la colinesterasa y la aparición de un episodio maníaco/hipomaníaco. El riesgo parece ser mayor si el paciente tiene antecedentes de trastorno afectivo y si está tomando medicación antidepresiva. CONCLUSIONES: Los inhibidores de la colinesterasa pueden inducir manía en algunos pacientes. Más estudios son necesarios para una mejor comprensión de este fenómeno; se deben tomar precauciones al prescribir estos fármacos en pacientes de riesgo

AIMS: To evaluate if cholinesterase inhibitors can induce mania, and if so to determine if this effect could be related to pre-existing conditions and other patient characteristics. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted that included articles published in PubMed and ISI Web of Knowledge from January 1990 to March 2018, following PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: From a total of 326 studies found, 16 were included in the review. In the reported cases, there was a correlation between the introduction of a cholinesterase inhibitor and the development of a manic/ hypomanic episode. The risk appears to be higher if the patient had a history of affective disorder and if he/she was taking antidepressant medication. CONCLUSIONS: Cholinesterase inhibitors may induce mania in some patients. Further studies are needed for a better understanding of this phenomenon. Care should be taken when prescribing these drugs in specific patients