Prodromal Symptoms and Intermittent Drug Medication in Mood Disorders

G. A. Fava; G. Molnar; Silvana Grandi; Nicoletta Sonino

doi:10.1055/s-2007-1014429

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Pharmacopsychiatry 1991; 24(1): 28-30
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1014429

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Prodromal Symptoms and Intermittent Drug Medication in Mood Disorders

G. A. Fava¹ , G. Molnar² , Silvana Grandi¹ , Nicoletta Sonino³

¹Affective Disorders Program, Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
²Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
³Institute of Semeiotica Medica, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

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Publication Date:
13 March 2008 (online)

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Abstract

There has been very little interest in research on prodromal symptoms of mood disorders. This paper reviews the literature concerned with bipolar disorder and unipolar depression. In both illnesses, recent preliminary studies would suggest that within each patient there is a striking consistency in prodromal symptoms preceding each episode. Since the appearance of prodromal symptoms generally precedes the full syndrome by weeks or months, the findings pave the way for the intermittent use of medications (antidepressants and lithium) in mood disorders.

Riassunto

Lo studio della sintomatologia prodromica nei disturbi deill'umore non ha ancora ricevuto un'adeguata attenzione. Questo lavoro analizza la letteratura riguardante il disturbo bipolare e la depressione unipolare. In entrambe le malattie, alcuni dati preliminari suggerirebbero come in ogni paziente la stessa sintomatologia prodromica tenda a ripetersi in episodi diversi. Dal momento che i sintomi prodromici generalmente precedono il manifestarsi della sindrome completa di settimane o mesi, questi risultati possono rivelare una certa utilità clinica con l'uso intermittente della farmacoterapia (antidepressivi e litio) nei disturbi dell'umore.

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