Revisiting the bipolar disorder with migraine phenotype: Clinical features and comorbidity.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the prevalence and clinical correlates of lifetime migraine among patients with bipolar disorder (BD). METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, we evaluated 721 adults with BD from the Mayo Clinic Bipolar Disorder Biobank and compared clinical correlates of those with and without a lifetime history of migraine. A structured clinical interview (DSM-IV) and a clinician-assessed questionnaire were utilized to establish a BD diagnosis, lifetime history of migraine, and clinical correlates. RESULTS: Two hundred and seven (29%) BD patients had a lifetime history of migraine. BD patients with migraine were younger and more likely to be female as compared to those without migraine (p values <0.01). In a multivariate logistic regression model, younger age (OR=0.98, p<0.01), female sex (OR=2.02, p<0.01), higher shape/weight concern (OR=1.04, p=0.02), greater anxiety disorder comorbidities (OR=1.24, p<0.01), and evening chronotype (OR=1.65, p=0.03) were associated with migraine. In separate regression models for each general medical comorbidity (controlled for age, sex, and site), migraines were significantly associated with fibromyalgia (OR=3.17, p<0.01), psoriasis (OR=2.65, p=0.03), and asthma (OR=2.0, p<0.01). Participants with migraine were receiving ADHD medication (OR=1.53, p=0.05) or compounds associated with weight loss (OR=1.53, p=0.02) at higher rates compared to those without migraine. LIMITATIONS: Study design precludes determination of causality. Migraine subtypes and features were not assessed. CONCLUSIONS: Migraine prevalence is high in BD and is associated with a more severe clinical burden that includes increased comorbidity with pain and inflammatory conditions. Further study of the BD-migraine phenotype may provide insight into common underlying neurobiological mechanisms.

Switch Rates During Acute Treatment for Bipolar II Depression With Lithium, Sertraline, or the Two Combined: A Randomized Double-Blind Comparison.

OBJECTIVE: The authors compared medication-induced mood switch risk (primary outcome), as well as treatment response and side effects (secondary outcomes) with three acute-phase treatments for bipolar II depression. METHOD: In a 16-week, double-blind, multisite comparison study, 142 participants with bipolar II depression were randomly assigned to receive lithium monotherapy (N=49), sertraline monotherapy (N=45), or combination treatment with lithium and sertraline (N=48). At each visit, mood was assessed using standardized rating scales. Rates of switch were compared, as were rates of treatment response and the presence and severity of treatment-emergent side effects. RESULTS: Twenty participants (14%) experienced a switch during the study period (hypomania, N=17; severe hypomania, N=3). Switch rates did not differ among the three treatment groups, even after accounting for dropout. No patient had a manic switch or was hospitalized for a switch. Most switches occurred within the first 5 weeks of treatment. The treatment response rate for the overall sample was 62.7% (N=89), without significant differences between groups after accounting for dropout. The lithium/sertraline combination group had a significantly higher overall dropout rate than the monotherapy groups but did not have an accelerated time to response. CONCLUSIONS: Lithium monotherapy, sertraline monotherapy, and lithium/sertraline combination therapy were associated with similar switch and treatment response rates in participants with bipolar II depression. The dropout rate was higher in the lithium/sertraline combination treatment group, without any treatment acceleration advantage.

Adjunctive lisdexamfetamine in bipolar depression: a preliminary randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

This study evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of lisdexamfetamine (LDX) in the treatment of bipolar depression. Twenty-five outpatients with bipolar I or II disorder and syndromal depression despite at least 4 weeks of stable mood stabilizer and/or antipsychotic therapy were randomized to receive LDX (N=11) or placebo (N=14) in an 8-week, prospective, parallel-group, double-blind study. In the primary longitudinal analysis, LDX and placebo produced similar rates of improvement in depressive symptoms as assessed by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale. However, LDX was associated with a statistically significantly greater rate of improvement in self-reported depressive symptoms and daytime sleepiness, and with greater reductions in fasting levels of low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol. In the secondary baseline-to-endpoint analysis, LDX was associated with statistically significant improvements in self-reported measures of depression, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and binge eating, as well as with improvements in fasting levels of triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol. LDX was well tolerated and was not associated with any serious adverse events, but there was one case of suspected misuse. The small sample size (because of premature study termination by the funding sponsor) may have limited the detection of important drug-placebo differences. Larger studies on the use of psychostimulants for treatment of bipolar depression seem warranted.

Zonisamide in the treatment of bulimia nervosa: an open-label, pilot, prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess preliminarily the effectiveness of zonisamide in bulimia nervosa. METHOD: This was an open-label, prospective, 12-week, flexible dose study of zonisamide in bulimia nervosa. The primary outcome was binge-purge episode frequency. RESULTS: Twelve individuals received zonisamide, 10 completed at least one post-baseline evaluation, and six completed the study. Mean dose at endpoint was 420 (SD = 215) mg/day. Zonisamide was associated with significant reductions in frequency of binge-purge episodes and binge-purge days as well as measures of binge eating behavior, purging behavior, clinical severity, obsessive-compulsive features, and depressive symptoms. Weight was unchanged. DISCUSSION: In this open-label trial, zonisamide was effective in bulimia nervosa, but associated with a high discontinuation rate.

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of divalproex extended release loading monotherapy in ambulatory bipolar spectrum disorder patients with moderate-to-severe hypomania or mild mania.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether divalproex extended release (ER) would be effective in outpatients with DSM-IV-TR-diagnosed ambulatory bipolar spectrum disorder (BSD) and moderate-to-severe hypomanic or mild manic symptoms (hypomania/mild mania). METHOD: An 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of divalproex ER oral loading (begun at 15 mg/kg/d and titrated to a maximum of 30 mg/kg/d) in ambulatory BSD with hypomania/mild mania patients, operationally defined as a Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) score >or= 10 but < 21 at baseline and at 1 other study visit at least 3 days apart over the 2 weeks before baseline, was conducted. Patients were enrolled from October 2003 through November 2007. RESULTS: Sixty patients (n = 30 in the divalproex ER group) had at least 1 postbaseline assessment. The divalproex ER group showed a significantly greater rate of reduction in mean total YMRS score than the placebo group (longitudinal analysis, P = .024). The divalproex ER group also showed more improvement in depressive symptoms the greater the severity of baseline depression (P = .11 for analysis of covariance treatment-by-baseline interaction). Baseline-to-endpoint change scores using last-observation-carried-forward showed that divalproex ER was associated with a marginally significant change in mean total YMRS score (P = .080). Comparable numbers of patients discontinued divalproex ER (n = 17) and placebo (n = 15), including those that discontinued use because of adverse events (n = 4 and 3, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Divalproex ER begun at 15 mg/kg/d was superior to placebo in reducing hypomanic/mild manic symptoms in ambulatory BSD. It was associated with fairly good tolerability but a high discontinuation rate. Controlled trials of divalproex ER and other mood stabilizers in larger groups of ambulatory BSD patients with hypomanic/mild manic symptoms appear warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00278772.

Placebo-controlled study of quetiapine monotherapy in ambulatory bipolar spectrum disorder with moderate-to-severe hypomania or mild mania.

BACKGROUND: There are no randomized, placebo-controlled data for quetiapine in outpatients with bipolar spectrum disorder (ambulatory BSD) and moderate-to-severe hypomanic or mild manic symptoms (hypomania/mild mania). METHODS: An 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of quetiapine in ambulatory BSD with hypomanic/mild manic symptoms, defined operationally as a score of >or=3 but <5 on the mania subscale of the Clinical Global Impressions Scale Modified for Bipolar Illness (CGI-BP) at baseline and one prior study visit, at least 3 days but no more than 2 weeks apart. The primary outcome measure was the rate of change in the Young Mania Rating Scale score (YMRS). RESULTS: During the 8-week study period, patients receiving quetiapine (average daily dose=232mg) had a marginally greater rate of reduction in mean total YMRS score than patients receiving placebo (p=0.06). Additionally, CGI-BP mania (p=0.01) and the CGI-BP overall (p<0.001) scores were significantly reduced and the CGI-depression score (p=0.08) was marginally reduced in the quetiapine group. Six (32%) quetiapine patients and 8 (40%) placebo patients did not complete the trial. LIMITATIONS: Small sample size and high attrition (36%). CONCLUSION: Quetiapine was marginally more effective than placebo in reducing hypomanic/mild manic symptoms in ambulatory BSD as assessed by the YMRS. It was more effective than placebo in reducing manic symptoms and global bipolar symptoms as assessed by the CGI-BP. The drug's discontinuation rate was similar to placebo's. Controlled trials of quetiapine and other compounds with mood stabilizing properties in larger groups of ambulatory BSD patients with hypomanic/mild manic symptoms appear warranted.