Depressive episodes

Depression is a common psychiatric disorder. The lifetime risk of developing a depressive episode is estimated to be as high as 8—12% for men and 20—26% for women (116). Depression, one of the most widespread of all life-threatening disorders, is almost always a factor in the mote than 30,000 suicides that occur annually in the United States alone (117). 

Treatment of Manic—Depressive Illness. Siace the 1960s, lithium carbonate [10377-37-4] and other lithium salts have represented the standard treatment of mild-to-moderate manic-depressive disorders (175). It is effective ia about 60—80% of all acute manic episodes within one to three weeks of adrninistration. Lithium ions can reduce the frequency of manic or depressive episodes ia bipolar patients providing a mood-stabilising effect. Patients ate maintained on low, stabilising doses of lithium salts indefinitely as a prophylaxis. However, the therapeutic iadex is low, thus requiring monitoring of semm concentration. Adverse effects iaclude tremor, diarrhea, problems with eyes (adaptation to darkness), hypothyroidism, and cardiac problems (bradycardia—tachycardia syndrome). 

Antipsychotic medications are indicated in the treatment of acute and chronic psychotic disorders. These include schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and manic states occurring as part of a bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder. The co-adminstration of antipsychotic medication with antidepressants has also been shown to increase the remission rate of severe depressive episodes that are accompanied by psychotic symptoms. Antipsychotic medications are frequently used in the management of agitation associated with delirium, dementia, and toxic effects of both prescribed medications (e.g. L-dopa used in Parkinson s disease) and illicit dtugs (e.g. cocaine, amphetamines, andPCP). They are also indicated in the management of tics that result from Gilles de la Tourette s syndrome, and widely used to control the motor and behavioural manifestations of Huntington s disease. 

Define depression and identify symptoms of a major depressive episode. 

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders. It is characterized by feeling of intense sadness, helplessness, worthlessness, and impaired functioning. Those experiencing a major depressive episode exhibit physical and psychological symptoms, such as appetite disturbances, sleep disturbances, and loss of interest in job, family, and other activities usually enjoyed. A major depressive episode is a depressed or dysphoric (extreme or exaggerated sadness, anxiety, or unhappiness) mood that interferes with daily functioning and includes five or more of the symptoms listed in Display 31-1. 

Depression is treated with the use of antidepressan t drugs. Psychotherapy is used in conjunction with the antidepressant drug s in treating major depressive episodes. The four types of antidepressants are ... 

Antidepressant drugs are used to manage depressive episodes such as major depression or depression accompanied by anxiety. These drugs may be used in conjunction with psychotherapy in severe depression. The SSRIs also are used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorders. The uses of individual antidepressants are given in the Summary Drug Table Antidepressants. Treatment is usually continued for 9 months after recovery from the first major depressive episode. If the patient, at a later date, experiences another major depressive episode, treatment is continued for 5 years, and with a third episode, treatment is continued indefinitely. 

Chen CY, Wagner FA, Anthony JC Marijuana use and the risk of major depressive episode epidemiological evidence from the United States National Comorbidity Survey. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 37 199-206, 2002... 

Depression often follows a manic episode (bipolar I disorder), but in other cases the main disorder presents as depressive episodes which are followed by or sometimes... 

It is not uncommon for a patient to experience only a single major depressive episode, but most patients with major depressive disorder will experience multiple episodes. 

Since the typical major depressive episode lasts 6 months or longer, if antidepressant therapy is interrupted for any reason following the acute phase, the patient may relapse into the depressive episode. When treating the first depressive episode, antidepressants must be given for an additional 4 to 9 months in the continuation phase for the purpose of preventing relapse. 

The diagnosis of a major depressive episode requires the presence of a certain number of depressive symptoms (five) for a minimum specified duration (2 weeks) that cause clinically significant effects (Table 35—l).3... 

HINT In order to remember the nine diagnostic symptoms for a major depressive episode, learn the following mnemonic Depression = SIG E CAPS (depression, sleep, interest, guilt, energy, concentration, appetite, psychomotor, suicide). 

In turn, the diagnosis of MDD is based on the presence of one or more major depressive episodes during a person s lifetime.3... 

Major depressive episodes also occur in the context of bipolar disorder. The key difference is that persons with bipolar disorder also experience manic, hypomanic, and/or mixed episodes (see Chap. 36) during the course of their illness, whereas persons with MDD experience only major depressive episodes.3... 

Symptoms of a major depressive episode usually develop over days to weeks, but mild depressive and anxiety symptoms may last for weeks to months prior to the onset of the full syndrome. Left untreated, major depressive episodes typically last 6 months or more, but a minority of patients experience chronic episodes that can last for at least 2 years. Approximately two-thirds of patients will recover fully from major depressive episodes and return to usual mood and full functioning, whereas the other third will have partial remission and may continue to experience detrimental effects.3... 

The course of MDD varies markedly from patient to patient. It is not uncommon for a patient to experience only a single major depressive episode, but most patients with MDD will experience multiple episodes. Some patients experience isolated episodes separated by many years, others have clusters of episodes, and still others will suffer more frequent episodes as they age. The number of prior episodes predicts the likelihood of developing subsequent episodes such that by the time a patient experiences a third major depressive episode, there is about a 90% chance that he or she will have a fourth one. MDD is associated with a high mortality rate because about 15% of patients ultimately will commit suicide.3... 

Recognize the symptoms of a manic episode and depressive episode in patients with bipolar disorder. 

The primary treatment for depressive episodes in bipolar disorder is mood-stabilizing agents, often combined with antidepressant drugs. 

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by one or more episodes of mania or hypomania, often with a history of one or more major depressive episodes.1 It is a chronic illness with a course characterized by relapses and improvements or remissions. Mood episodes can be manic, depressed, or mixed. They can be separated by long periods of stability or can cycle... 

Bipolar disorders have been categorized into bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, and bipolar disorder, not otherwise specified (NOS). Bipolar I disorder is characterized by one or more manic or mixed mood episodes. Bipolar II disorder is characterized by one or more major depressive episodes and at least one hypomanic episode. Hypomania is an abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, but not of sufficient severity to cause significant impairment in social or occupational function and does not require hospitalization. Most epidemiologic studies have looked at bipolar disorder of all types (bipolar I and bipolar II), or the bipolar spectrum, which includes all clinical conditions thought to be closely related to bipolar disorder. The lifetime prevalence of bipolar I disorder is estimated to be between 0.3% and 2.4%. The lifetime prevalence of bipolar II disorder ranges from 0.2% to 5%. When including the bipolar spectrum, the lifetime prevalence is between 3% and 6.5%.1... 

Bipolar disorder can be conceptualized as a continuum or spectrum of mood disorders and is not comprised solely of bipolar I disorder.9 They include four subtypes bipolar I (periods of major depressive, manic, and/or mixed episodes) bipolar II (periods of major depression and hypomania) cyclothymic disorder (periods of hypomanic episodes and depressive episodes that do not meet all criteria for diagnosis of a major depressive episode) and bipolar disorder, NOS. The defining feature of bipolar disorders is one or more manic or hypomanic episodes in addition to depressive episodes that are not caused by any medical condition, substance abuse, or other psychiatric disorder.1... 

Patients with bipolar disorder have a high risk of suicide. Factors that increase that risk are early age at disease onset, high number of depressive episodes, comorbid alcohol abuse, personal history of antidepressant-induced mania, and family history of suicidal behavior.15 In those with bipolar disorder, 1 of 5 suicide attempts are lethal, in contrast to 1 of 10 to 1 of 20 in the general population. 

Mixed Yes Criteria for both a major depressive episode and manic episode (except for duration) occur nearly every day for at least a 1 -week period... 

Treatment algorithms for manic and depressive episodes of bipolar disorder are included in Table 36-2. 

Optimize the dose of mood stabilizing medication(s) before adding on lithium, lamotrigine, or antidepressant (e.g., bupropion or an SSRI) if psychotic features are present, add on an antipsychotic ECT used for severe or treatment-resistant depressive episodes or for psychosis or catatonia... 

Treatment of depressive episodes in bipolar disorder patients presents a particular challenge because of the risk of a pharmacologic mood switch to mania, although there is not complete agreement about such risk. Treatment guidelines suggest lithium or lamotrigine as first-line therapy.17,41 Olanzapine has also demonstrated efficacy in treatment of bipolar depression, and quetiapine is under review for approval of treatment of bipolar depression.42 When these fail, efficacy data support use of antidepressants. 

Some, but not all, studies observe low CSF 5-HIAA in major depressive episodes. Numerous studies, though not all, have also reported no difference between patients with mania or depression in CSF 5-HIAA levels, consistent with both Prange et alls [15] permissive hypothesis for bipolar disorders and the indoleamine hypothesis. 

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