Proposed delusional depression subtypes: preliminary evidence from a retrospective study of phenomenology and treatment course.
An analysis of the phenomenology and treatment course of 52 subjects with delusional depression suggests that there may be various subtypes: bipolar, early-onset unipolar and possibly a late-onset unipolar. The bipolar subgroup tended to relapse in different but always psychotic directions, and was resistant to lithium carbonate treatment alone. Treatment refractoriness, delusional depressive recurrences, and a dementia-like presentation were associated with a small late-onset subgroup. A high rate of delusionally depressive relapses also characterized the early-onset unipolar group, however, patients with single episodes were found only in this subgroup.
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003702:Delusions / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D008297:Male; D008370:Manuals as Topic
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D008094:Lithium