title: A report on three patients with "rapid cycling" unipolar depression.
abstract: We report three cases of unipolar depression who meet criteria for "rapid cycling" by having four or more major depressive episodes within a 1-year period. This report describes the clinical characteristics of the three patients and discusses the concept of false unipolar depression, and compares these patients with the "pseudounipolar" group described by Akiskal et al. Our findings support the clinical notion that rapid cycling in unipolar depression is a rarity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle.
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Dunner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D002065:Buspirone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D016651:Lithium Carbonate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D002220:Carbamazepine; D002065:Buspirone