Case report of prolactin and bipolar illness: a longitudinal study

A longitudinal and naturalistic study of nine bipolar patients attending a lithium clinic during a six-month period was undertaken. Prolactin plasma levels and psychiatric symptoms were evaluated bi-weekly. Wide interindividual and intraindividual fluctuations were observed both in prolactin levels and psychiatric symptoms. The relationship between prolactin and affective episodes was found to be complex. In a few instances, sharp prolactin changes preceded behavioral modifications. Bipolar disorders, even if treated, appeared to be unstable conditions, from both the phenomenological and neuroendocrinological viewpoints.