A prospective investigation using platelet monoamine oxidase activity and cortical evoked response augmenting/reducing to predict the onset of new episodes of affective disorders was conducted in a college sample. During an 18-month period between clinical interviews, higher incidences of major depression and hypomania characterized the low MAO/aociated with affective psychopathology in the ori...

BACKGROUND Growing evidence supports the validity of distinguishing major depressive disorder (MDD) plus a lifetime history of subthreshold hypomania (D(m)) from pure MDD in psychiatric classifications. The present study sought to estimate the proportion of individuals with D(m) that would have been included in RCTs for MDD using typical eligibility criteria, and examine the potential impact of...

Major depressive episodes are common in bipolar disorder, which consequently may be misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder. Improved detection of bipolar disorder rests upon better ascertainment of a history of hypomania. Antidepressants are of dubious benefit in bipolar disorder and more accurate diagnosis of depression would promote better treatment.

A male patient presented with tricyclic induced hypomania after treatment for chronic depression. On follow up the patient deteriorated towards dementia with multifocal leucoencephalopathy. The possible role of brain lesions in the causation of affective syndromes and the neurobiological hypothesis of bipolar syndromes are discussed. The authors propose that chronic depression should be thoroug...

Methods We review and discuss the recent evidence on the presence of mixed features during mania and depression and summarise findings on the conceptualisation of mixed states. Electronic searches of all English-language papers were performed in the MEDLINE and PUBMED database using and cross-listing key words: mixed state, mixed features, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, mania, hyp...