title: Bipolar disorder: balancing mood states early in course of illness effects long-term prognosis.
abstract: The importance of observing swings above euthymic normality in patients with affective disorders has been emphasized by many research groups. The concept of mood bipolarity has not only established a Bipolar II disorder (with only hypomania, not mania, but also opened up for discussion of a Bipolar Spectrum, that would necessitate treatment with a broader range of agents, i.e., not only antidepressants. In order to understand the determinants of the patterns of mood swings in individuals with bipolar disorder we have used a computerized life-charting technique to analyze a large amount of clinical information in 100 patients with bipolar mood swings. In a cross-sectional set-up, we demonstrate clear evidence of achieving a better long-term stabilization when starting patients on mood stabilizer early after the first evidence of the mood disorder.
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden. hans.agren@ki.se
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Agren
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Backlund
mesh_terms: D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D000367:Age Factors; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003527:Cyclothymic Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018692:Antimanic Agents