Bipolar II disorder in patients with a current diagnosis of recurrent depression.

Objectives: The prevalence of bipolar II disorder (BD-II) in Russia has never been studied. Therefore, we sought to identify patients meeting diagnostic criteria for BD-II among patients with a current diagnosis of recurrent depressive disorder (RDD) through the use of the Russian versions of the Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32) and Bipolarity Index scales for differentiating between BD-II and RDD.

Methods: In a non-interventional diagnostic study, we selected 409 patients aged between 18 and 65 years from two medical settings with (i) a current diagnosis of RDD, (ii) an illness duration of at least three years, and (iii) at least two affective episodes.

Design and validation of standardized clinical and functional remission criteria in schizophrenia.

Background: International Remission Criteria (IRC) for schizophrenia were developed recently by a group of internationally known experts. The IRC detect only 10%-30% of cases and do not cover the diversity of forms and social functioning. Our aim was to design a more applicable tool and validate its use - the Standardized Clinical and Functional Remission Criteria (SCFRC).

Validation of the Russian version of the Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32) for the detection of Bipolar II disorder in patients with a current diagnosis of recurrent depression.

Background: There are no validated screening tools for Bipolar Disorder (BD) in Russia.

Objective: To validate the Russian version of the HCL-32 for the detection of Bipolar II disorder (BD II) in patients with Recurrent Depressive Disorder (RDD).

Methods: 409 patients with a current diagnosis of RDD were recruited.

[Open randomized comparative twelve-week study of lithium and valproate in manic episode].

One hundred and twenty-five patients (49 men and 76 women, mean age 38,0+/-12,5 years) were randomized in two groups. One group (64 patients) was treated with valproate sodium and another group (61 patients) received lithium carbonate. Monotherapy was administered with the mean dose of valproate 20 mg/kg/day (serum valproate concentration between 70 and 125 ?g/ml) and the mean dose of lithium 800 mg/day (between 600 and 900 mg/day; serum lithium concentration 0,8-1,2 mmol/L) during 12 weeks.