Pseudodementia in Patients with Unipolar and Bipolar Disorders: A Case Series and Literature Review.

Even though pseudodementia has been historically linked to depression, other psychiatric conditions may cause reversible cognitive alterations. The purpose of this study is to improve our understanding of pseudodementia occurring throughout the entire bipolar spectrum. A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched up to March 2023. Fifteen articles on patients with pseudodementia and bipolar disorder (BD), mania, hypomania, or mixed depression have been included. Moreover, seven female patients with mood disorders diagnosed with pseudodementia have been described. According to our research, pseudodementia in patients with BD mostly occurs during a depressive episode. However, pseudodementia has also been observed in the context of manic and mixed states. Psychomotor and psychotic symptoms were commonly associated. The most typical cognitive impairments were disorientation, inattention, and short-term memory deficits. Alterations in neuroimaging were frequently observed. Electroconvulsive therapy and lithium, either alone or in combination with antipsychotics, resulted in the most widely used therapies. Cognitive decline may occur in a substantial proportion of patients. Since pseudodementia can manifest along the entire mood spectrum, it should be taken into consideration as a possible diagnosis in BD patients showing cognitive deficits during manic, mixed, and depressive states.

The impact of mild behavioral impairment on the prognosis of geriatric depression: preliminary results.

Our study aimed to examine how the presence of Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI) symptoms influenced the outcome of late-life depression (LLD). Twenty-nine elderly (≥ 60 years) depressive patients, including eleven (37.9%) with MBI, were recruited and followed-up on average for 33.41 ±â€…8.24 weeks. Psychiatric symptoms severity and global functioning were assessed, respectively, using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale. BPRS total score significantly decreased from baseline to follow-up (P < 0.001, d = 1.33). The presence of MBI had no significant effect on mood and cognitive symptoms improvement. On the contrary, while a significant increase in GAF score was observed in patients without MBI (P = 0.001, d = 1.01), no significant improvement of global functioning was detected in those with MBI (P = 0.154, d = 0.34) after 6-month follow-up. The presence of MBI in patients with LLD may negatively affect long-term outcome, slowing or preventing functional improvement.

Bipolar Disorder and Manic-Like Symptoms in Alzheimer's, Vascular and Frontotemporal Dementia: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: An increased risk of manic episodes has been reported in patients with neurodegenerative disorders, but the clinical features of bipolar disorder (BD) in different subtypes of dementia have not been thoroughly investigated. OBJECTIVES: The main aim of this study is to systematically review clinical and therapeutic evidence about manic syndromes in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Since manic-mixed episodes have been associated to negative outcomes in patients with dementia and often require medical intervention, we also critically summarized selected studies with relevance for the treatment of mania in patients with cognitive decline. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched up to February 2022. Sixty-one articles on patients with AD, VaD, or FTD and BD or (hypo) mania have been included. RESULTS: Manic symptoms seem to be associated to disease progression in AD, have a greatly variable temporal relationship with cognitive decline in VaD, and frequently coincide with or precede cognitive impairment in FTD. Overall, mood stabilizers, and electroconvulsive therapy may be the most effective treatments, while the benefits of short-term treatment with antipsychotic agents must be balanced with the associated risks. Importantly, low-dose lithium salts may exert neuroprotective activity in patients with AD. CONCLUSION: Prevalence, course, and characteristics of manic syndromes in patients with dementia may be differentially affected by the nature of the underlying neurodegenerative conditions.