Childhood Bullying and Maltreatment Yield A Worse Course of Bipolar Illness
Highlights from the International Society for Bipolar Disorders Conference Posters and Presentations, Chicago, June 22-25, 2023
Georgina Hosang of Bart’s & The London, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine reported that bullying and maltreatment together were associated with more suicidal behaviors than either childhood experience alone.
The Systematic Treatment Optimization Program for Early Mania
Highlights from the International Society for Bipolar Disorders Conference Posters and Presentations, Chicago, June 22-25, 2023
A. Rathseesh and L. Yatham reported on the importance of systematic vigorous treatment of a first manic episode. If more episodes occurred, losses in cognition did not fully recover. All patients remitted within 1 year of their first mania. Recurrence occurred in 58% by year 1 and 74% by year 4. Predictors of functional recovery included sustained euthymia, especially absence of depressive symptoms, good cognitive functioning, and maintaining a normal weight. More aggressive treatment to prevent relapses in years 1-4 after a first manic episode appears needed and how exactly to achieve this requires further study.
Nighttime Bedroom Light Exposure Increases Episode Relapses in Bipolar Disorder
Highlights from the International Society for Bipolar Disorders Conference Posters and Presentations, Chicago, June 22-25, 2023
Yuichi Esaki of Okehazama Hospital reported that “Of the 172 participants, 39 (22%) experienced manic or hypomanic episodes (during 2 years of follow up). In the Cox proportional-hazards model, the hazard ratio (HR) for manic/hypomanic episode relapses was significantly higher when the average nighttime illuminance was ?3 lux (n = 71) than when it was <3 lux (n = 101; HR, 2.54; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.33–4.84)… Keeping the bedroom dark at night may prevent hypomanic and manic episodes.”
Early Antidepressant Use is Associated with Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder
Highlights from Posters Presented at the Society of Biological Psychiatry Meeting, April 27-29, 2023 in San Diego
A.C. Courtes and Jair Soares reported that “Antidepressants were prescribed as the first psychiatry medication in 74/114 (65%) of BD patients.” This and alcohol use disorder were independent predictors of rapid cycling.
Cannabis Use Disorder Increases Risk of Subsequent Unipolar Depression and Bipolar Disorder
Jefsen et al report in JAMA Psychiatry. that in “[6,651,765] individuals in Demark, cannabis use disorder was associated with an increased risk of (subsequent) both psychotic and nonpsychotic unipolar depression and bipolar disorder….Associations between CUD and subsequent affective disorders were estimated as hazard ratios (HRs) using Cox proportional hazards regression with time-varying information on CUD, adjusting for sex; alcohol use disorder; substance use disorder; having been born in Denmark; calendar year; parental educational level (highest attained); parental cannabis, alcohol, or substance use disorders; and parental affective disorders….Cannabis use was associated with an increased risk of bipolar disorder in men (HR, 2.96; ) and women (HR, 2.54; )”, and was highest for psychotic bipolar disorder (HR, 4.05; 95% CI, 3.52-4.65).
Editors Note: Marijuana is not a benign substance. “In all, 60,?696 individuals received a diagnosis of (cannabis use disorder) during follow-up, and 260,?746 (3.9%) developed an affective disorder.”
Young Men at Highest Schizophrenia Risk From Cannabis Abuse
Roughly 15% of schizophrenia cases among young males may be preventable by avoiding cannabis use disorder (CUD). Not only does cannabis abuse markedly increase the risk of schizophrenia, its use has transgenerational effects such that offspring from a cannabis user are more prone to use opiates.
Editors Note: Youngsters need to know two things.
1. Any supposedly legitimate drug bought on line may look like the real thing, but it is all-too-often laced with fentanyl which can kill someone in 5 minutes. No street-bought drug is safe, no matter how real it looks.
2. Marijuana will not kill you, but can make you psychotic for the rest of your life. The widely circulated notion that pot is safe is just a conspiracy by the plant growers to make money and by politicians who are ignorant of the facts. Pot doubles the rate of paranoia in the general population and if you have a good functioning genetic (val158val) version of COMT, this works too well to deplete dopamine in the prefrontal cortex and further increases the risk of paranoia and psychosis.
Adiposity and Cognitive Function Are Bidirectionally Related
Sakib et al reported in JAMA New Open that ” In this cohort study that included 11,103 adolescents, executive function and episodic memory were bidirectionally associated with adiposity, and this association was statistically mediated through the morphology of the lateral prefrontal cortex. Obesity (BMI) was associated worse executive functioning, episodic memory, and task performance. Thus preserving cognition is another reason beyond physical health to follow a good diet, get exercise, and use medications for weight loss if obesity is a problem.”
Familial Aggregation of Major Depression Predicts Risk of Major Depression
Gronemann et al reported in JAMA Psychiatry: “In this cohort study of 2,903,430 individuals, maternal, paternal, full sibling, or half-sibling with MD were associated with 2-fold higher risks of MD in men and women….(E)xposure to family MD during childhood and adolescence was associated with increased risk. The risk increased with number of affected family members; (however) individuals exposed when 30 years or older had markedly lower risk.”
Editors Note: Even depression in grandparents adds further to the risk of depression. When there is high familial loading for depression and other psychiatric illnesses, one should be alert to the possible onset of depression in young individuals and treat them early and well accordingly.
Hyperinsulinemia Associated Depression
Haider Sarwar writes in Clinical Medicine Insights (2022) that “Hyperinsulinemia promotes fat accumulation, causing obesity. Being an inflammatory state, obesity can induce further inflammation and is a risk factor for HPA (hypothalamic pituitary axis) dysregulation through hypercortisolism-related hyperglycemia….A disruption on SNS (sympathetic nervous system) activity increases insulin levels, and induces glycogenolysis in the liver and lipolysis in adipose tissue during hypoglycemia. Hyperglycemia-hyperinsulinemia exacerbates inflammation and increases the oxidative stress along with regulating the levels of norepinephrine in the brain sympathetic system. Increased inflammatory cytokines have also been shown to disrupt neurotransmitter metabolism and synaptic plasticity which play a role in the development of depression via inhibiting serotonin, dopamine, melatonin, and glutamate signaling. An increased level of plasma insulin over time in the absence of exercising causes …an increase in insulin resistance due to obesity and further culminates into depression….. Triple therapy with SSRI, bupropion, and cognitive behavioral therapy aids in improving glycemic control, lowering fasting blood glucose, decreasing the chances of relapse, as well as decreasing cortisol levels to improve cognition and the underlying depression.”
Cannabidiol (CBD) does not make cannabis safer
Amir Englund et al reported in Neuropsychopharmacology in A randomised, double-blind, cross-over trial of cannabis with four different CBD:THC ratios that CBD did not protect against the adverse effect of THC. These included impaired delayed verbal recall ( p?=?0.001) and induced positive psychotic symptoms on the PANSS ( p?=?2.41?×?10–5).
Editors Note: Not only does marijuana impair memory, it is a risk factor the onset of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. When pot is used by a person with a unipolar or bipolar mood disorder, there are increases in depression and anxiety and an overall less favorable course of illness. If a person with a mood disorder uses heavy amounts of marijuana, they could consider buying N-acetylcysteine (NAC) 500mg and increasing the dose to 1,000mg twice a day within a week as this has been shown to decrease drug use compared to placebo in adolescents and young adults using and abusing pot. Most people who sell pot, are not well-informed about its dangers and just want to make money.
