title: Early mood swings as symptoms of the bipolar prodrome: preliminary results of a retrospective analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Temperament and mood swings are promising indicators for the characterization of mood spectrum vulnerability. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between affective temperament and mood swings in bipolar disorder. We explored these clinical features retrospectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who met the criteria for bipolar I disorder were enrolled in the study. Exclusion criteria were partial remittance and a full affective or psychotic episode. Data concerning illness and family history, mood swings (semistructured interview for mood swings) and depression (Beck, Depression Inventory) were obtained. We examined premorbid temperament with the validated German version Temps-M of the original version Temps-A. Patients with and without mood swings were compared with respect to the dominant temperament.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 20 bipolar patients, 6 subjects reported mood swings prior to the onset of affective disorder. Subjects with mood swings prior to the onset of bipolar disorder significantly correlated with a positive family history of affective disorders. Concerning cyclothymic and irritable temperament, bipolar affective patients with mood swings had higher scores. No differences were found between males and females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings go in line with previous results that mood swings, as represented by the cyclothymic temperament, are present prior to the first onset of bipolar disorder in a subset of patients. These traits may represent vulnerability markers and could presumably be used to identify individuals at high risk for developing bipolar disorder in order to prevent this illness. Further studies are indicated to clarify the correlation with genetic risk factors.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Ruhr University Bochum, LWL University Hospital Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors: Seza
authors: S
authors: Ozgürdal
authors: Elisabeth
authors: E
authors: van Haren
authors: Marta
authors: M
authors: Hauser
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Ströhle
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Bauer
authors: Hans-Jörg
authors: HJ
authors: Assion
authors: Georg
authors: G
authors: Juckel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D003527:Cyclothymic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007508:Irritable Mood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D013694:Temperament