Relapses in bipolar patients: changes in social rhythm?

The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
N KadriD Moussaoui

Abstract

The Ramadan month represents a valuable opportunity to test the hypothesis that the course of the illness of bipolar patients can be disrupted by the change in social rhythm which usually occurs during this month. The objectives of this study were to follow up the mood state and blood lithium level of fasting Muslim bipolar patients who had been on lithium therapy for at least 3 months, and were clinically stable before being included in the study. Twenty bipolar patients were enrolled during the month of Ramadan in 1997. Diagnosis of bipolar disorder was according to ICD-10 criteria. Patients were assessed during the week before Ramadan, the second and the fourth weeks of the fasting month and the first week after its end, with the Hamilton Depression and Bech-Rafaelsen scales. The plasma concentration of lithium was also assessed. The main finding of the study was that 45% of the patients relapsed, 70% during the second week and the remaining patients at the end of Ramadan. These relapses were not related to plasma concentration of lithium. Most of the relapses were manic (71.4 %). Patients who did not relapse had insomnia and anxiety during the second and third weeks of the study. Side-effects of lithium increased and were o...Continue Reading

Citations

May 19, 2005·Bipolar Disorders·Jeffery T Junig, Jon A Lehrmann
Feb 18, 2010·Clinical Psychology : a Publication of the Division of Clinical Psychology of the American Psychological Association·Lauren B AlloyClara A Wagner
Feb 6, 2014·World Psychiatry : Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA)·Siham EddahbyDriss Moussaoui
Feb 7, 2015·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Ziad KronfolMelvin McInnis
Sep 12, 2015·The Lancet. Psychiatry·David J KupferFiona C Ritchey
Sep 10, 2010·International Clinical Psychopharmacology·Saeed FarooqFarooq Naeem
Jan 19, 2021·The International Journal of Social Psychiatry·Hanen Ben AmmarZouhaier El Hechmi

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