Is melatonin an adjunctive stabilizer?

MELATONIN (MLT) IS a main synchronizer of the sleep/wake cycle control. We performed a prospective naturalistic study that included 14 euthymic bipolar patients that suffered from insomnia (six type I, six type II and two schizoaffective disorder) according to DSM-IV-TR criteria.1 After giving their written consent, patients began the treatment with MLT. Evaluation tools used were: Oviedo Sleep Questionnaire (OSQ),2 Chinese Polarity Inventory (CPI),3 Numeric Evaluation Scale (NES),4 and Clinical Global Impressions Scale foruse in bipolar illness (CGI-BP-M).5 Side-effects and time until improvement of sleep were evaluated. Euthymia had to be confirmed by a score <30 on the CPI-Depression and…

El punto de vista de los familiares de pacientes con trastorno bipolar.

Como consecuencia de la desinstitucionalización de los pacientes psiquiátricos, el papel de los cuidadores ha adquirido un interés relevante a lo largo de los últimos años. Con el objetivo de conocer el impacto de la enfermedad en los cuidadores, 88 familiares de pacientes diagnosticados de trastorno bipolar (DSM-IV) completaron un cuestionario autoadministrado que recogía información sobre variados aspectos clínicos, sociodemográficos, carga experimentada, actitudes y conocimientos acerca de la enfermedad, entre otras cuestiones. Encontramos que los familiares necesitaban con frecuencia ayuda psiquiátrica por el estrés generado por la enfermedad, ercibían afectación en los planos laboral, …

Is melatonin an adjunctive stabilizer?

Sexual Dysfunction and Mood Stabilizers in Long-Term Stable Patients With Bipolar Disorder.

Abstract Background In addition to factors intrinsic to bipolar disorder (BD), sexual functioning (SF) can be affected by extrinsic causes, such as psychotropic drugs. However, the effect of mood stabilizers on SF and quality of life (QoL) is an underexplored research area. Aim To analyze SF in BD outpatients in euthymia for at least 6 months treated only with mood stabilizers and the association between SF and QoL. Methods A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in 114 BD outpatients treated with (i) lithium alone (L group); (ii) anticonvulsants alone (valproate or lamotrigine; A group); (iii) lithium plus anticonvulsants (L+A group); or (iv) lithium plus benzodiazepines (L+B gro…