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Depressive symptoms have a large impact on cognitive test performance of mood disorder patients. After remission, some improvement of cognitive functioning has been observed, but also stable deficits have been reported both during depression and remission. In the present study, the authors aimed to investigate the cognitive functioning of mood disorder patients in relation to early symptomatic recovery, by comparing performances at the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) of responders and non-responders to the antidepressant treatment. The sample was composed of 51 hospitalized patients for a major depressive episode (major depressives/bipolars = 37/14). All patients were treated with fluvoxamine and evaluated at baseline and after 4 weeks using the 21-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. All subjects were once assessed for their cognitive functioning with the WAIS-R, at the end of the fourth week of treatment. In the current sample, patients who showed a significant symptomatic remission after 4 weeks of treatment showed higher total WAIS-R scores and a lower incidence of cognitive impairment, compared to non-responders to treatment. No major differences could be observed on any particular subtest, but rather a global improving of scores in responders compared to non-responders to pharmacotherapy. Pre-treatment illness severity, that was significantly higher among non-responders, was significantly associated with patients' intelligence quotient scores. Despite a number of limitations, present data support a strong effect of depressive symptoms on patients WAIS-R performances and an early global improvement of cognitive functioning concurrent with symptomathology recovery during pharmacological treatment.

Background: Recent findings suggest that extended bed rest and darkness could stabilize mood swings in rapid cycling bipolar patients. Method: We exposed 16 bipolar inpatients affected by a manic episode to a regimen of 14 h of enforced darkness from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. each night for three consecutive days [dark therapy (DT)]. Pattern of mood changes were recorded with the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and compared with a control group of 16 inpatients matched for age, sex, age at onset, number of previous illness episodes and duration of current episode, and were treated with therapy as usual (TAU). Results: Adding DT to TAU resulted in a significantly faster decrease of YMRS scores when patients were treated within 2 weeks from the onset of the current manic episode. When duration of current episode was longer, DT had no effect. Follow-up confirmed that good responders needed a lower dose of antimanic drugs and were discharged earlier from the hospital. Conclusions: Chronobiological interventions and control of environmental stimuli can be a useful add-on for the treatment of acute mania in a hospital setting. Background: Recent findings suggest that extended bed rest and darkness could stabilize mood swings in rapid cycling bipolar patients. Method: We exposed 16 bipolar inpatients affected by a manic episode to a regimen of 14 h of enforced darkness from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. each night for three consecutive days [dark therapy (DT)]. Pattern of mood changes were recorded with the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and compared with a control group of 16 inpatients matched for age, sex, age at onset, number of previous illness episodes and duration of current episode, and were treated with therapy as usual (TAU). Results: Adding DT to TAU resulted in a significantly faster decrease of YMRS scores when patients were treated within 2 weeks from the onset of the current manic episode. When duration of current episode was longer, DT had no effect. Follow-up confirmed that good responders needed a lower dose of antimanic drugs and were discharged earlier from the hospital. Conclusions: Chronobiological interventions and control of environmental stimuli can be a useful add-on for the treatment of acute mania in a hospital setting.

Benzodiazepines can shift the phase of circadian rhythms in mammalian species, but few data are are, available on their phase-response effects in humans, and on possible links between timing of administration and hypnotic efficacy. Using a placebo-controlled, cross-over design, we evaluated the hypnotic effect of lormetazepam 0.03 mg/kg and placebo in 38 inpatients who were affected by a major depressive episode. Patients were divided into three groups, receiving treatment at 18.00 h, 20.00 h or 22.00 h, respectively. Sleep and psychiatric symptoms were evaluated with self-administered scales and a sleep diary. The results demonstrate that active treatment significantly improved insomnia independent of the severity of depression, which remained unchanged. Timing of treatment influenced changes in timing of sleep observed with active treatment. Although sleep duration was equally improved in all treatment groups, patients who received treatment at 20.00 h showed an acute advance of sleep onset, with no changes in morning awakening. Patients who received treatment at 22.00 h showed an acute delay in morning awakening, with no changes of sleep onset. Finally, patients who received treatment at 18.00 h showed a non-significant trend in the same direction. These effects reverted with cross-over return to placebo. The perceived degree of improvement of insomnia was proportional to the advance in timing of sleep onset obtained with treatment. Our results suggest that the effects of lormetazepam on the subjective sleep of patients affected by a major depressive episode depend upon the timing of administration, and that improvement in subjective sleep is related to advance of sleep onset, and not to delay of morning awakening. (C) 2004 Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Benzodiazepines can shift the phase of circadian rhythms in mammalian species, but few data are are, available on their phase-response effects in humans, and on possible links between timing of administration and hypnotic efficacy. Using a placebo-controlled, cross-over design, we evaluated the hypnotic effect of lormetazepam 0.03 mg/kg and placebo in 38 inpatients who were affected by a major depressive episode. Patients were divided into three groups, receiving treatment at 18.00 h, 20.00 h or 22.00 h, respectively. Sleep and psychiatric symptoms were evaluated with self-administered scales and a sleep diary. The results demonstrate that active treatment significantly improved insomnia independent of the severity of depression, which remained unchanged. Timing of treatment influenced changes in timing of sleep observed with active treatment. Although sleep duration was equally improved in all treatment groups, patients who received treatment at 20.00 h showed an acute advance of sleep onset, with no changes in morning awakening. Patients who received treatment at 22.00 h showed an acute delay in morning awakening, with no changes of sleep onset. Finally, patients who received treatment at 18.00 h showed a non-significant trend in the same direction. These effects reverted with cross-over return to placebo. The perceived degree of improvement of insomnia was proportional to the advance in timing of sleep onset obtained with treatment. Our results suggest that the effects of lormetazepam on the subjective sleep of patients affected by a major depressive episode depend upon the timing of administration, and that improvement in subjective sleep is related to advance of sleep onset, and not to delay of morning awakening. (C) 2004 Lippincott Williams Wilkins.

Background: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are effective in approximately 70% of patients with a major depressive episode, but therapeutic changes usually require 2 weeks of administration to become clinically relevant. Adjunct light therapy has been proposed to hasten the effects of drug treatment. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of morning light therapy or placebo combined with citalopram in the treatment of patients affected by a major depressive episode without psychotic features. Method: Thirty inpatients (DSM-IV major depressive disorder [N = 21] and bipolar disorder [N = 9]) were treated with citalopram, 40 mg, and randomized in a 3:2 manner to receive 30 minutes of 400 lux green light treatment in the morning or placebo (exposure to a deactivated negative ion generator) during the first 2 weeks of drug treatment. Timing of light therapy was individually defined to obtain a 2-hour phase advance to morning light. Outcome was measured with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale every week, and with a Visual Analogue Scale 3 times a day during the first week. Results: All outcome measures showed significantly (p < .05) better mood improvement in light-treated patients, resulting in faster responses to antidepressant treatment. Conclusion: The combination of citalopram and light treatment was more effective than citalopram and placebo in the treatment of major depression. With an optimized timing of administration, low-intensity light treatment significantly hastened and potentiated the effect of citalopram, thus providing the clinical psychiatrists with an augmenting strategy that was found effective and devoid of side effects.