Serum uric acid levels in first episode mania, effect on clinical presentation and treatment response: Data from a case control study.

Serum uric acid levels in first episode mania, effect on clinical presentation and treatment response: Data from a case control study.
Asian J Psychiatr. 2018 Apr 26;35:15-17
Authors: Chatterjee SS, Ghosal S, Mitra S, Mallik N, Ghosal MK
Abstract
Bipolar disorder (BD) patients have increased serum Uric Acid (UA) levels as compared to their healthy counterparts. They also demonstrate higher impulsivity - while symptomatic, as well as when in remission. Impulsivity adds a risk of self-harming behavior to BD, and studies show that it increases with UA levels. Given this complex relationship, the current project aimed at comparing UA levels in first-episode mania patients with matched controls, and analyzes its relationship with impulsivity, symptom severity and disease prognosis. Thirty-one first-episode mania patients were assessed on BIS-11 and YMRS, serum uric acid levels were measured, and compared to matched controls. A follow up YMRS was rated after one month to evaluate the effects of treatment. We found significantly higher levels of UA in patients, which showed positive correlation with impulsivity and a negative correlation with symptom improvement at 1 month. The results of the study support a purinergic system dysfunction hypothesis in first-episode mania, and suggest its influence on impulsivity in this patient group. Further, the mentioned dysfunction appears to have a negative impact on treatment outcomes in such cases.
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Source: Asian Journal of Psychiatry - May 5, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Tags: Asian J Psychiatr Source Type: research