Background: Psychomotor agitation (PA) or retardation (PR) during major depressive episodes (MDEs) have been associated with depression severity in terms of treatment-resistance and course of illness.
Objectives: We investigated the possible association of psychomotor symptoms (PMSs) during a MDE with clinical features belonging to the bipolar spectrum.
Methods: The initial sample of 7689 MDE patients was divided into three subgroups based on the presence of PR, PA and non-psychomotor symptom (NPS). Univariate comparisons and multivariate logistic regression models were performed between subgroups.
Results: A total of 3720 patients presented PR (48%), 1971 showed PA (26%) and 1998 had NPS (26%). In the PR and PA subgroups, the clinical characteristics related to bipolarity, along with the diagnosis of bipolar disorder (BD), were significantly more frequent than in the NPS subgroup. When comparing PA and PR patients, the former presented higher rates of bipolar spectrum features, such as family history of BD (OR = 1.39, CI = 1.20-1.61), manic/hypomanic switches with antidepressants (OR = 1.28, CI = 1.11-1.48), early onset of first MDE (OR = 1.40, CI = 1.26-1.57), atypical (OR = 1.23, CI = 1.07-1.42) and psychotic features (OR = 2.08, CI = 1.78-2.44), treatment with mood-stabilizers (OR = 1.39, CI = 1.24-1.55), as well as a BD diagnosis according to both the DSM-IV criteria and the bipolar specifier criteria. When logistic regression model was performed, the clinical features that significantly differentiated PA from PR were early onset of first MDE, atypical and psychotic features, treatment with mood-stabilizers and a BD diagnosis according to the bipolar specifier criteria.
Conclusions: Psychomotor symptoms could be considered as markers of bipolarity, illness severity, and treatment complexity, particularly if PA is present.
Keywords: bipolar disorder; major depressive episode; psychomotor agitation; psychomotor retardation.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.