Bipolar disorder: balancing mood states early in course of illness effects long-term prognosis

The importance of observing swings above euthymic normality in patients with affective disorders has been emphasized by many research groups. The concept of mood bipolarity has not only established a Bipolar II disorder (with only hypomania, not mania, but also opened up for discussion of a Bipolar Spectrum, that would necessitate treatment with a broader range of agents, i.e., not only antidepressants. In order to understand the determinants of the patterns of mood swings in individuals with bipolar disorder we have used a computerized life-charting technique to analyze a large amount of clinical information in 100 patients with bipolar mood swings. In a cross-sectional set-up, we demonstrate clear evidence of achieving a better long-term stabilization when starting patients on mood stabilizer early after the first evidence of the mood disorder.