Of the 241 lithium clinic patients at the New York State Psychiatric
Institute with bipolar I affective disorder, 38 (15.7%) had never been
hospitalized or somatically treated for depression. These "unipolar manic"
patients had a significantly lower incidence of rapid cycling and suicide
attempts than other bipolar I patients. No differences were found, however,
in risk of illness in first-degree relatives. Lithium was an effective
prophylactic agent in these patients. Some patients originally classified
as "unipolar manic" were found to have depressive episodes with additional
information and clinical observation. "Unipolar mania" appears to be a
subgroup of bipolar I illness, but there are no data to support the
hypothesis that it is a separate entity.Abstract Teaser