Age of onset and the prospectively observed course of illness in bipolar disorder

William Coryell; Jess Fiedorowicz; Andrew C Leon; Jean Endicott; Martin B Keller

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2012.08.031

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Age of onset and the prospectively observed course of illness in bipolar disorder

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Age of onset and the prospectively observed course of illness in bipolar disorder

William Coryell, Jess Fiedorowicz, Andrew C Leon, Jean Endicott and Martin B Keller

Journal of affective disorders, Vol.146(1), pp.34-38

03/20/2013

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2012.08.031

PMCID: PMC3605729

PMID: 23062746

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Abstract

To test the validity of age-of-onset grouping in bipolar disorder through the use of prospectively observed time in mood episodes. Age-of-onset ranges from prior admixture analyses were used to divide 427 individuals with bipolar I or bipolar II disorders into early-, middle- and late- onset groups. These were compared by the proportions of weeks depressed and manic or hypomanic during a mean (SD) prospective follow-up of 17.4 (8.4) years. As predicted, the group with the earliest onsets reported at intake more previous episodes, suicide attempts and panic attacks. An early age of onset, but not current age, was predictive of significantly more time in depressive episodes during follow-up but was not predictive of time in manic or hypomanic episodes. This was a naturalistic study with no control of treatment so variability in treatment may have obscured relationships between predictors and outcomes. Age of onset was retrospectively determined and subject to inaccuracies in recall. An early age of onset conveys, to a modest degree, a poorer prognosis as expressed in more depressive morbidity.

Bipolar disorder

Age-of-onset

Prognosis

Follow-up

Details

Title: Subtitle: Age of onset and the prospectively observed course of illness in bipolar disorder
Creators: William Coryell - Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine, 500 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA 52231-1190, United States
Jess Fiedorowicz - Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine, 500 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA 52231-1190, United States
Andrew C Leon - Weill Cornell Medical College, 525 East 68th, NY 10065, United States
Jean Endicott - Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, 180 Ft. Washington Avenue, NY 10032, United States
Martin B Keller - Brown University, 700 Butler Drive, Providence, RI 02906, United States
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of affective disorders, Vol.146(1), pp.34-38
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2012.08.031
PMID: 23062746
PMCID: PMC3605729
NLM abbreviation: J Affect Disord
ISSN: 0165-0327
eISSN: 1573-2517
Publisher: Elsevier B.V
Language: English
Date published: 03/20/2013
Academic Unit: Psychiatry; Epidemiology; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
Record Identifier: 9984065379902771

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