Psychosensory features in mood disorder: a preliminary report

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of psychosensory features in mood disorder patients, and to investigate the relationship between psychosensory features and classic psychopathology. We evaluated 50 mood disorder patients (39 bipolar, 11 schizoaffective) for the presence of psychosensory features and psychopathology. We assessed psychosensory features separately using the Profile of Psychomotor Symptoms. We obtained additional information regarding each patient's psychiatric and drug history, family history, and electroencephalogram. Seven (14.0%) experienced three or more recent psychosensory features, and 12 (24.0%) reported three or more past psychosensory features. The presence of alcohol and drug abuse, number of medications, and electroencephalographic abnormality had no effect on the prevalence of psychosensory features. Psychosensory features significantly (rs = .53, P < .001) correlated with hallucinations, but not with other psychopathology (P > NS). Psychosensory features are not uncommon in mood disorders and have a strong relationship with hallucinations. Our findings also suggest that the presence of psychosensory features in mood disorder suggests episode severity and not a specific subgroup.