Transtorno bipolar associado à demência: tipologia, correlações clínicas e fisiopatologia

Abstract

Background: this study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of the interrelation of two morbid conditions that affect the autonomy and independence of the elderly: Bipolar disorder (BD) and the dementias. Methods: the medical records were reviewed to meet criteria at the same time for BD and dementia, resulting in a database of 130 cases (n = 130). Their demographics characteristics were described, as well as the frequencies of the diagnoses of dementia subtypes, their correlations with the age of dementia, the age of initiation of BD, its clinical forms and psychopathologic presentation. It was also studied the impact when the DSM4-TR diagnostic criteria was shifted to the Akiskal criteria for BD. Results: in the sample, the predominant dementia age range was senile dementia (senile: 85.71%; presenile: 14.29%) and the most common dementia subtypes were Corticobasal degeneration (CBD: 24.62%) and the Fronto-Temporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD: 19.23%). The age of initiation of BD starting 35 years old or over amounted to 74.78% (between 10 and 34 years: 25.22%; between 35 and 59 years: 36.52%; and ≥ 60 years: 38.26%), with the following clinical forms of BD present in the sample: BD1: 71.54%, BD2: 20.77%; and Cyclothymia: 7.69%. The psychopathologic clinical presentation of BD prevalent in the sample was Mixed Episodes (38.46%), followed by Mania (33.07%), Hypomania with major depression (20.77%) and Hypomania without major depression (7.7%). When applied diagnostic criteria of Akiskal, the clinical form of BD prevalent in the sample remained the BD1 (46.92%), followed by the BD6 (34.62%) and the BD2 (18.46%). Conclusions: the results showed that the CBD and FTLD were the most common dementia in comorbidity with BD. And that the BD, in such cases, was predominantly late (≥ 35 years) or very late (≥ 60 years) and in its most severe form (BD1), with the most common psychopathologic syndrome of Mixed State or Mania, suggesting that the CBD and FTLD should be actively searched in the follow-up of these cases. DCB and DLFT in comorbidity to BD offer a privileged field of research for the pathophysiology of dementia and TB itself.