Motor activity across delirium motor subtypes in geriatric patients assessed using body-worn sensors: a Norwegian cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: It remains unclear if geriatric patients with different delirium motor subtypes express different levels of motor activity. Thus, we used two accelerometer-based devices to simultaneously measure upright activity and wrist activity across delirium motor subtypes in geriatric patients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTINGS: Geriatric ward in a university hospital in Norway. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty acutely admitted patients, ≥75 years, with DSM-5-delirium. OUTCOME MEASURES: Upright activity measured as upright time (minutes) and sit-to-stand transitions (numbers), total wrist activity (counts) and wrist activity in a sedentary position (WAS, per cent of the sedentary time) during 24 hours ongoing Delirium Motor Subtype Scalesubtyped delirium. RESULTS: Mean age was 86.7 years. 15 had hyperactive, 20 hypoactive, 17 mixed and 8 had no-subtype delirium. We found more upright time in the no-subtype group than in the hypoactive group (119.3 vs 37.8 min, p=0.042), but no differences between the hyperactive, the hypoactive and the mixed groups (79.1 vs 37.8 vs 50.1 min, all p>0.28). The no-subtype group had a higher number of transitions than the hypoactive (54.3 vs 17.4, p=0.005) and the mixed groups (54.3 vs 17.5, p=0.013). The hyperactive group had more total wrist activity than the hypoactive group (1.238×104 vs 586×104 counts, p=0.009). The hyperactive and the mixed groups had more WAS than the hypoactive group (20% vs 11%, p=0.032 and 19% vs 11%, p=0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Geriatric patients with delirium demonstrated a low level of upright activity, with no differences between the hyperactive, hypoactive and mixed groups, possibly due to poor gait function. The hyperactive and mixed groups had more WAS than the hypoactive group, indicating true differences in motor activity across delirium motor subtypes, also in geriatric patients. Wrist activity appears more suitable than an upright activity for both diagnostic purposes and activity monitoring in geriatric delirium.

A retrospective chart review of terminal patients with cancer with agitation and their risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Agitated delirium is often observed in terminal patients with cancer. To clarify the risk factors for agitated delirium in terminal patients with cancer, we conducted a retrospective chart review of 126 patients with cancer who died at a university hospital in 2008. METHOD: As a working definition, we define agitated delirium as a score of 2 or more in item 9 of the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale with diurnal variation. RESULTS: The results were as follows: agitated delirium was observed in 49 (42%) of the 115 patients, and it occurred within the last week before death in 49% of the patients. Univariate analysis revealed older age, male gender, smoking history, lung cancer, diabetes, and high C-reactive protein (CRP) value as major risk factors, while dendritic analysis revealed lung cancer, high CRP value, diabetes, older age, and smoking history as key factors for predicting agitation. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to consider risk factors in order to categorize terminal patients with cancer into high- and low-risk groups and undertake possible counter-measures.

Comparison and agreement between the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale and the Riker Sedation-Agitation Scale in evaluating patients' eligibility for delirium assessment in the ICU.

BACKGROUND: Delirium evaluation in patients in the ICU requires the use of an arousal/sedation assessment tool prior to assessing consciousness. The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) and the Riker Sedation-Agitation Scale (SAS) are well-validated arousal/sedation tools. We sought to assess the concordance of RASS and SAS assessments in determining eligibility of patients in the ICU for delirium screening using the confusion assessment method for the ICU (CAM-ICU). METHODS: We performed a prospective cohort study in the adult medical, surgical, and progressive (step-down) ICUs of a tertiary care, university-affiliated, urban hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana. The cohort included 975 admissions to the ICU between January and October 2009. RESULTS: The outcome measures of interest were the correlation and agreement between RASS and SAS measurements. In 2,469 RASS and SAS paired screens, the rank correlation using the Spearman correlation coefficient was 0.91, and the agreement between the two screening tools for assessing CAM-ICU eligibility as estimated by the κ coefficient was 0.93. Analysis showed that 70.1% of screens were eligible for CAM-ICU assessment using RASS (7.1% sedated [RASS −3 to −1]; 62.6% calm [0]; and 0.4% restless, agitated [+1 to +3]), compared with 72.1% using SAS (5% sedated [SAS 3]; 66.5% calm [4]; and 0.6% anxious, agitated [5, 6]). In the mechanically ventilated subgroup, RASS identified 19.1% CAM-ICU eligible patients compared with 24.6% by SAS. The correlation coefficient in this subgroup was 0.70 and the agreement was 0.81. CONCLUSION: Both SAS and RASS led to similar rates of delirium assessment using the CAM-ICU.

Are parent-reported repetitive and restricted behaviours associated with psychological problems in pre-school-aged children?

This study surveys the association of restricted and repetitive behaviours in pre-school children with their emotional and behavioural problems. Parents of 504 pre-school children selected by cluster sampling participated and filled in the questionnaires including repetitive and restricted behaviour (RRB) scale and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The parents reported repetitive and restrictive behaviours are gender-related in pre-school-aged children. Hyperactivity and emotional problems are significantly in association with all the four types of repetitive and restrictive behaviours. Prosocial problems score is in association with 'reaction to change' subscale score. Children with higher scores of conduct problems have higher rates of 'sensorimotor stereotypies', 'reaction to change' and 'modulation insufficiency'. Pre-school children with a higher rate of RRBs are more hyperactive and have more emotional problems than those with lower rates of RRBs. Conduct problems are more common in children with 'sensorimotor stereotypies', 'reaction to change' and 'modulation insufficiency' problems. Repetitive and restricted behaviours are associated with mental health problems in pre-school-aged children.

Motor subtypes of postoperative delirium in older adults.

HYPOTHESIS: Increased knowledge about motor subtypes of delirium may aid clinicians in the management of postoperative geriatric patients. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study defining preoperative risk factors, outcomes, and adverse events related to motor subtypes of postoperative delirium. SETTING: Referral medical center. PATIENTS: Persons 50 years and older with planned postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) admission following an elective operation were recruited. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Before surgery, a standardized frailty assessment was performed. After surgery, delirium and its motor subtypes were measured using the validated tools of the Confusion Assessment Method-ICU and the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale. Statistical analysis included the univariate t and χ(2) tests and analysis of variance with post hoc analysis. RESULTS: Delirium occurred in 43.0% (74 of 172) of patients, representing 67.6% (50 of 74) hypoactive, 31.1% (23 of 74) mixed, and 1.4% (1 of 74) hyperactive motor subtypes. Compared with those having mixed delirium, patients having hypoactive delirium were older (mean [SD] age, 71 [9] vs 65 [9] years) and more anemic (mean [SD] hematocrit, 36% [8%] vs 41% [6%]) (P = .002 for both). Patients with hypoactive delirium had higher 6-month mortality (32.0% [16 of 50] vs 8.7% [2 of 23], P = .04). Delirium-related adverse events occurred in 24.3% (18 of 74) of patients with delirium; inadvertent tube or line removals occurred more frequently in the mixed group (P = .006), and sacral skin breakdown was more common in the hypoactive group (P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Motor subtypes of delirium alert clinicians to differing prognosis and adverse event profiles in postoperative geriatric patients. Hypoactive delirium is the most common motor subtype and is associated with worse prognosis (6-month mortality, 1 in 3 patients). Knowledge of differing adverse event profiles can modify clinicians' management of older patients with postoperative delirium.

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies common variants in CTNNA2 associated with excitement-seeking.

The tendency to seek stimulating activities and intense sensations define excitement-seeking, a personality trait akin to some aspects of sensation-seeking. This trait is a central feature of extraversion and is a component of the multifaceted impulsivity construct. Those who score high on measures of excitement-seeking are more likely to smoke, use other drugs, gamble, drive recklessly, have unsafe/unprotected sex and engage in other risky behaviors of clinical and social relevance. To identify common genetic variants associated with the Excitement-Seeking scale of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory, we performed genome-wide association studies in six samples of European ancestry (N=7860), and combined the results in a meta-analysis. We identified a genome-wide significant association between the Excitement-Seeking scale and rs7600563 (P=2 × 10(-8)). This single-nucleotide polymorphism maps within the catenin cadherin-associated protein, alpha 2 (CTNNA2) gene, which encodes for a brain-expressed α-catenin critical for synaptic contact. The effect of rs7600563 was in the same direction in all six samples, but did not replicate in additional samples (N=5105). The results provide insight into the genetics of excitement-seeking and risk-taking, and are relevant to hyperactivity, substance use, antisocial and bipolar disorders.

[In Alzheimer's disease, the clinical expression of behavioral and psychological signs and symptoms is early and specific of neuropathological stages]. / Dans la maladie d'Alzheimer, l'expression des troubles psychologiques et comportementaux est précoce et spécifique des stades lésionnels.

INTRODUCTION: The early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is a new challenge. This study concerns 50 patients, 34 females (68 %) and 16 males (32 %) with Alzheimer (AD), according to NINCDS-ADRDA diagnostic criteria. OBJECTIVES: To systematically evaluate in all patients behavioral and psychological signs and symptoms of dementia (BPSSD), according to the stage of AD, with the patients of our population separated into two MMS groups. METHODS: The first group was composed of patients with an MMS score from 10 to 20 (eight males and 19 females). Patients of the second group had an MMS score between 21 and 28 (eight males and 19 females). The Neuro-Psychiatric Inventory (NPI) was used to collect information on the presence of BPSSD in AD patients. NPI scores were correlated to the cognitive part of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-Cog) that permits evaluation of the severity of cognitive impairment in AD patients. Before starting the study, all patients gave their informed consent to participate in the study of BPSSD in AD. Statistical treatment of data was performed using STATVIEW. RESULTS: Our study demonstrates that BPSSD are present not only in early but also in moderate stages of AD. As cognitive impairment, BPSSD are an integrate part of the clinical picture. With a frequency of 74 % for the whole population, "anxiety" represented the more predominant BPSSD for all our patients at all stages of AD. At the very early stages of AD, BPSSD appeared to precede cognitive disorders. CONCLUSION: The symptomatic association of "depression", "agitation", and "irritability of mood" may remain in a steady state for a few months before the appearance of verbal episodic memory impairment, which is characteristic of hippocampus involvement. "Irritability" seems to specifically characterise the initial phase of AD. On the other hand, two BPSSD are characteristic of the late stages of AD: "sleep disorder" and "hallucinations".

The Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Clinician rating scale (NPI-C): reliability and validity of a revised assessment of neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia.

BACKGROUND: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) affect almost all patients with dementia and are a major focus of study and treatment. Accurate assessment of NPS through valid, sensitive and reliable measures is crucial. Although current NPS measures have many strengths, they also have some limitations (e.g. acquisition of data is limited to informants or caregivers as respondents, limited depth of items specific to moderate dementia). Therefore, we developed a revised version of the NPI, known as the NPI-C. The NPI-C includes expanded domains and items, and a clinician-rating methodology. This study evaluated the reliability and convergent validity of the NPI-C at ten international sites (seven languages). METHODS: Face validity for 78 new items was obtained through a Delphi panel. A total of 128 dyads (caregivers/patients) from three severity categories of dementia (mild = 58, moderate = 49, severe = 21) were interviewed separately by two trained raters using two rating methods: the original NPI interview and a clinician-rated method. Rater 1 also administered four additional, established measures: the Apathy Evaluation Scale, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Index, and the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia. Intraclass correlations were used to determine inter-rater reliability. Pearson correlations between the four relevant NPI-C domains and their corresponding outside measures were used for convergent validity. RESULTS: Inter-rater reliability was strong for most items. Convergent validity was moderate (apathy and agitation) to strong (hallucinations and delusions; agitation and aberrant vocalization; and depression) for clinician ratings in NPI-C domains. CONCLUSION: Overall, the NPI-C shows promise as a versatile tool which can accurately measure NPS and which uses a uniform scale system to facilitate data comparisons across studies.

Agitation and pain assessment using digital imaging.

Pain assessment in patients who are unable to verbally communicate with medical staff is a challenging problem in patient critical care. The fundamental limitations in sedation and pain assessment in the intensive care unit (ICU) stem from subjective assessment criteria, rather than quantifiable, measurable data for ICU sedation and analgesia. This often results in poor quality and inconsistent treatment of patient agitation and pain from nurse to nurse. Recent advancements in pattern recognition techniques using a relevance vector machine algorithm can assist medical staff in assessing sedation and pain by constantly monitoring the patient and providing the clinician with quantifiable data for ICU sedation. In this paper, we show that the pain intensity assessment given by a computer classifier has a strong correlation with the pain intensity assessed by expert and non-expert human examiners.

[Protocol based sedation versus conventional treatment in critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation]. / Sedación guiada por protocolo versus manejo convencional en pacientes críticos en ventilación mecánica.

BACKGROUND: Sedatives and analgesic drugs give comfort and allow adequate respiratory support to critically ill patients in mechanical ventilation (MV). Its improper use may increase the duration of MV. Clinical guidelines suggest implementation of protocols, however this is seldom done in clinical practice. AIM: To compare in MV patients, nurse-applied guided by protocol administration of sedatives and analgesic drugs (protocol: group P) with the habitual practice using physicians criteria (control: group C). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Inclusion criteria was the need of MV more than 48 h. The exclusion criteria were acute neurological diseases, hepatic cirrhosis, chronic renal failure and limitation of therapeutic efforts. Midazolam and fentanyl were used in both groups. The level of sedation was monitored with the Sedation Agitation Scale (SAS). In the P group, trained nurses applied algorithms to adjust the sedative doses according to a predefined SAS goal. RESULTS: Forty patients were included, 22 aged 65+/-19 years in group P and 18 aged 54+/-21 years in group C. Apache II scores were 16+/-8 and 19+/-8 in each group. SAS score was more frequently evaluated within goal boundaries in group P than in group C (44% and 32%, respectively p =0.001). No differences in the proportion of patients with inadequate sedation were observed between treatment groups. Midazolam doses were lower in P than in C group (0.04 (0.02-0.07) and 0.06 (0.03-0.08) mg/kg/h respectively, p =0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of sedation protocol applied by nurses improved the quality of sedation and reduced the doses of Midazolam in mechanically ventilated patients.

Sedación guiada por protocolo versus manejo convencional en pacientes críticos en ventilación mecánica / Protocol based sedation versus conventional treatment in critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation

Background: Sedatives and analgesic drugs give comfort and allow adequate respiratory support to critically ill patients in mechanical ventilation (MV). Its improper use may increase the duration of MV. Clinical guidelines suggest implementation of protocols, however this is seldom done in clinical practice. Aun: To compare in MV patients, nurse-applied guided by protocol administration of sedatives and analgesic drugs (protocol: group P) with the habitual practice using physicians criteria (control: group C). Material and methods: Inclusión criteria was the need of MV more than 48 h. The exclusión criteria were acute neurological diseases, hepatic cirrhosis, chronic renal failure and limitation of therapeutic efforts. Midazolam and fentanyl were used in both groups. The level of sedation was monitored with the Sedation Agitation Scale (SAS). In the P group, trained nurses applied algorithms to adjust the sedative doses according to a predefined SAS goal. Results: Forty patients were included, 22 aged 65±19 years in group P and 18 aged 54±21 years in group C. Apache II scores were 16±8 and 19±8 in each group. SAS score was more frequently evaluated within goal boundaries in group P than in group C (44 percent and 32 percent, respectively p =0.001). No differences in the proportion of patients with inadequate sedation were observed between treatment groups. Midazolam doses were lower in P than in C group (0.04 (0.02-0.07) and 0.06 (0.03-0.08) mg/kg/h respectively, p =0.005). Conclusions: The implementation of sedation protocol applied by nurses improved the quality of sedation and reduced the doses of Midazolam in mechanically ventilated patients.

Are wandering and physically nonaggressive agitation equivalent?

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined equivalence of wandering and physically nonaggressive agitation (PNA) as concepts. DESIGN: A cross-sectional correlational design was used. SETTING: Participants were recruited from 22 nursing homes and 6 assisted living facilities in two states. PARTICIPANTS: Ambulatory residents meeting DSM-IV criteria for dementia (N = 181) were studied. MEASUREMENTS: Video-tapes for up to twelve 20-minute observations per participant were coded for wandering using an empirically derived taxonomy of ambulation patterns. Separate raters coded the same tapes for six PNA behaviors on the agitation behavior mapping instrument. RESULTS: Most participants (73.5%) wandered; all showed PNA behaviors. Factor analyses yielded an one-factor solution for wandering (explained variance = 43.66%) and a two-factor solution for PNA (explained variance = 53.45%). Overall wandering correlated significantly with PNA Factor 1 (df =179, r = 0.68, p <0.001) and Factor 2, but at a lower value (df = 179, r = 0.26, p <0.01). CONCLUSION: Findings depict wandering and PNA as overlapping, but nonequivalent phenomena. Evidence supporting construct validity of wandering was more robust than that for PNA. Results have implications for accuracy in scientific and clinical detection and labeling of wandering and agitation.

Reliability of the Sedation-Agitation Scale between nurses and doctors.

This study determined the inter-rater reliability of the Sedation-Agitation Scale (SAS) when used by staff in a tertiary level general intensive care unit (ICU). The study was designed to answer the question in the 'real world', with minimum patient exclusion criteria, do nurses and doctors rate ICU patient's sedation levels using the SAS similarly? A convenient sample of 35 nursing and seven medical staff and a randomly selected sample of 69 patients were used. A nurse and a doctor rated each patient simultaneously using the SAS, with a systematic five-stage arousal process. The results showed that there was exact agreement between the nurses' and doctors' scores in 74% of assessments. The weighted kappa finding of 0.82 indicates very good agreement (reliability). The mean SAS scores recorded for nurses (2.33+/-1.21) and doctors (2.36+/-1.35) were similar. Intraclass correlations for single measures (r=.921, p<.001) and average measures (r=.959, p<.001) indicated individuals who completed multiple ratings did not introduce bias. Where there was a difference between the paired ratings, these were only one level of the SAS away from each other. This research indicates nurses and doctors rate patients' levels of sedation similarly using the SAS. It also provides support for the use of the instrument in general ICUs outside the USA. Research is now needed to determine the value of the SAS in guiding clinical decision-making related to sedation management.

Clinical reliability and validity of the N-PASS: neonatal pain, agitation and sedation scale with prolonged pain.

OBJECTIVE: To establish beginning evidence of clinical validity and reliability of the Neonatal Pain, Agitation and Sedation Scale (N-PASS) in neonates with prolonged pain postoperatively and during mechanical ventilation. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective psychometric evaluation. Two nurses administered the N-PASS simultaneously and independently before and after pharmacologic interventions for pain or sedation. One nurse also administered the premature infant pain profile (PIPP) concurrently with the N-PASS. The setting consisted of 50-bed level III neonatal intensive care unit. Convenience sample of 72 observations of 46 ventilated and/or postoperative infants, 0 to 100 days of age, gestational age 23 to 40 weeks was used. Outcome measures comprised convergent and construct validity, interrater reliability and internal consistency. RESULT: Interrater reliability measured by intraclass coefficients of 0.85 to 0.95 was high (P<0.001 to 0.0001). Convergent validity was demonstrated by correlation with the PIPP scores (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of 0.83 at high pain scores, 0.61 at low pain scores). Internal consistency, measured by Cronbach's alpha, was evident with pain scores (0.82), and with sedation scores (0.87). Construct validity was established via the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, comparing the distribution of N-PASS scores before and after pharmacologic intervention showing pain scores of 4.86 (3.38) and 1.81 (1.53) (mean (s.d.), P<0.0001) and sedation scores of 0.85 (1.66) and -2.78 (2.81) (P<0.0001) for pre- and postintervention assessments, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This research provides beginning evidence that the N-PASS is a valid and reliable tool for assessing pain/agitation and sedation in ventilated and/or postoperative infants 0 to 100 days of age, and 23 weeks gestation and above.

Characterizing major depression phenotypes by presence and type of psychomotor disturbance in adolescents and young adults.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is phenomenologically heterogeneous, which has prompted investigation of intermediate MDD phenotypes based on specific key symptoms. Presence and type of psychomotor disturbance may be an important psychopathologic feature that differentiates clinically distinct forms of juvenile MDD. This study examined the phenotypic status of three putative MDD phenotypes in a community sample of 941 youths: (1) agitated depression (MDD with psychomotor agitation), (2) retarded depression (MDD with psychomotor retardation), and (3) agitated-retarded depression (MDD with psychomotor agitation and retardation within an episode). Hasler et al.'s [2004: Neuropsychopharmacology 29:1765-1781] criteria of specificity (degree of association with relevant symptoms and conditions related to the disease of interest versus other psychiatric conditions), stability (degree of stability over time), and heritability (degree of familial aggregation with relevant conditions) were used to evaluate the phenotypic significance of these subtypes. Results were suggestive that agitated depression was a relatively specific phenotypic syndrome characterized by irritability, arousal, physical complaints, and vulnerability to anxiety disorders and alcohol dependence; low stability across depressive episodes; and low heritability. Agitated-retarded depression was relatively specific and characterized by increased severity, recurrence, vegetative symptoms, suicidal ideation, social impairment, endogeneity, and vulnerability to anxiety disorders and bulimia; low stability across episodes; and modest heritability. Although retarded depression was associated with some specific distinguishing characteristics, most associations were explained by the increased severity of this phenotype. Retarded depression evidenced little stability or heritability. These findings offer partial support of the phenotypic status of agitated and agitated-retarded depression in youths.

Agitation in acquired brain injury: impact on acute rehabilitation therapies.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the nature of agitation in patients with brain injury and quantify the relation between agitation and patient progress in rehabilitation. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, correlational. SETTING: Urban, inpatient rehabilitation facility in the midwestern United States. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-nine patients with acquired brain injury admitted to an acute rehabilitation hospital. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Therapy Engagement using the Rehabilitation Therapy Engagement Scale; Functional Status using the Functional Independence Measure. RESULTS: Agitated behavior was inversely associated with engagement in rehabilitation therapy even after controlling for injury severity. Engagement in therapy mediated the relation between agitated behavior and progress in rehabilitation as assessed using a Functional Independence Measure efficiency ratio. CONCLUSIONS: Progress in acute brain injury rehabilitation appears to be meaningfully influenced by the complex interplay among injury severity, agitation, and engagement. The findings are consistent with a theoretical model, suggesting that agitated patients make less progress in rehabilitation not only because of greater injury severity but also because agitation disrupts engagement in rehabilitation therapies. Multiple clinical purposes may be better served by measuring behavioral excess on a continuum than in a dichotomous fashion.

"Between the fixed and the changing": examining and comparing reliability and validity of 3 sedation-agitation measuring scales.

The goal of the study was to compare the reliability and validity of 3 Sedation Agitation Scale. Two nurses and a physician conducted 130 observations simultaneously. They found an excellent interrater reliability in the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (r>0.86), and high correlations between the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale and the Sedation Agitation Scale and Visual Analog Scale scales (r=0.92, r=0.85). The research findings will help to assert Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale as a daily assessment tool in the intensive care unit, and it will pave the way for construction a sedation protocol according to the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale level.

Revisiting cycloid psychosis: a case of an acute, transient and recurring psychotic disorder.

We report a case of recurrent psychosis, spanning decades, with full inter-episode recovery and minimal functional impairment. While it is difficult to classify this disorder using DSM IV-TR criteria, Leonhard and others have described a 'cycloid psychosis' that correlates well with the phenomenology and course of this case. We believe this may represent a subset within the ICD-10 category of 'acute and transient psychotic disorders'. While this disorder, of unknown incidence, is not well reported in the U.S., it is worthy of further investigation and clinical attention given its generally favorable prognosis and potentially distinct pathophysiology and treatment.

Agitated depression in bipolar II disorder.

STUDY AIM: To test diagnostic validity or utility of agitated depression (AD) in bipolar II disorder (BP-II). METHODS: Three hundred and twenty BP-II major depressive episode (MDE) outpatients interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Hypomania Interview Guide (HIG), and Family History Screen. AD defined as MDE with psychomotor agitation. Mixed depression defined as MDE with > or =4 hypomanic symptoms. AD, non-AD, mixed-AD, non-mixed-AD, and mixed-non-AD were compared versus diagnostic validators. RESULTS: AD was present in 35.0%, 75.8% of AD were mixed, while only 14.3% of non-AD were mixed (P=0.0000). AD (n=112), versus non-AD (n=208), had significantly higher age, more females, recurrences, bipolar I family history, and much more concurrent hypomanic symptoms. Mixed-AD (n=85), versus non-mixed-AD (n=27), was not significantly different, apart from more hypomanic symptoms (by definition), but there were clinically significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Findings may partly support subtyping of AD in BP-II, on the basis of its frequent clustering of hypomanic symptoms, and its different family history. This subtyping may impact on treatment of BP-II depression, as antidepressants alone may increase agitation while mood stabilising agents can treat agitation before using antidepressants.