title: Patterns of treatment resistance in bipolar affective disorder.
abstract: The mean index episode length in 19 consecutive admissions with treatment-resistant bipolar affective disorder was 21.7 months. Four patterns of resistance were identified: rapid cycling (37%), other forms of cycling (32%), chronic depression (26%) and mixed states (6%). Female gender was significantly associated with rapid cycling. Other risk factors for treatment-resistant bipolar disorder, including a high prevalence of family history of affective disorder (72%) and electroencephalographic abnormalities (54% of recordings), were not confined to the rapid cycling group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Neuroscience, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: I N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Ferrier
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Eccleston
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome