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Biomedical subjects

Franco Benazzi

Publications and source records attributed to Franco Benazzi.

111 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

The role of gender in depressive mixed state.

BACKGROUND: Gender is an important variable in the study of mood disorders. Study aims were to find the prevalence of women, and to study gender differences in depressive mixed state (DMX), a major depressive episode (MDE) with few concurrent hypomanic symptoms. SAMPLING AND METHODS: Consecutive 173 unipolar and 260 bipolar II MDE outpatients were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders-Clinician Version. The variables studied were gender, age, age at onset of the first MDE, number of MDEs, MDE chronicity, atypical, melancholic, and psychotic features, axis I comorbidity, MDE severity, hypomanic symptoms, and DMX3 (DMX defined as MDE plus 3 or more concurrent hypomanic symptoms). RESULTS: Significantly more females than males had DMX3 vs. non-DMX3 (73.6 vs. 57.8%, p = 0.0006). Females were significantly associated with atypical features and psychomotor agitation in the DMX3 sample. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that females may be more likely than males to have DMX (as defined in the present study), opening the way to speculations about the biological relationship between female gender and DMX. Limitations of the study were a single interviewer and a nonblind assessment.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Major depressive disorder with anger: a bipolar spectrum disorder?

BACKGROUND: Depression with anger may be more common in bipolar disorders. The aim of the study was to assess whether major depressive disorder (MDD) with anger could be included in the bipolar spectrum, by comparing it to MDD without anger and to bipolar II disorder. METHODS: Consecutive outpatients (281 bipolar II disorder and 202 MDD) presenting for major depressive episode (MDE) treatment were interviewed with the DSM-IV structured clinical interview. Clinical variables used to support the inclusion of MDD with anger in the bipolar spectrum were age of onset, many MDE recurrences, atypical features of depression, depressive mixed state (an MDE plus some concurrent hypomanic symptoms), and bipolar family history. RESULTS: Frequency of MDE with anger was 50.5% [61.2% in bipolar II, and 35.6% in MDD (z = 5.5, p = 0.0000, 95% CI 16.8-43.3%)]. Logistic regression of MDE with anger (dependent variable) versus bipolar variables showed that MDE with anger was significantly associated with all bipolar variables, apart from recurrences. MDD with anger, compared with MDD without anger, had significantly lower age of onset, more marked depressive mixed state, a bipolar family history with more cases, but comparable atypical features and Global Assessment of Functioning scores. MDD with anger, compared with bipolar II disorder, had significantly higher age of onset, less atypical features, and a bipolar family history with less cases. CONCLUSIONS: MDE with anger was common in outpatients (more in bipolar II disorder). MDD with anger may be midway between MDD without anger and bipolar II disorder, and might be included into the bipolar spectrum. However, MDD with anger does not appear to be associated with the often reported negative response to monotherapy with antidepressants.

Adult↗