PATTERNS OF MOOD VARIATION DURING ANTIDEPRESSANT TREATMENT

Previous findings showed that, ih a subgroup of patients administered heterogeneous antidepressant treatments, perceived mood levels during a major depressive episode fluctuate with day to day changes which fol low cyclical patterns (termed ''minicycles''). We investigated the pre dictability of infradian mood fluctuations during acute depressive epi sodes in patients standardly medicated with fluvoxamine. We applied ti me series analysis, by means of autocorrelation techniques, to time la gged serial recordings of perceived mood levels of 20 inpatients (13 M ajor Depression Recurrent, and 7 Bipolar Depressive Disorders). 5/20 p atients exhibited predictable cyclical patterns in their perceived sym ptomathology, 8/20 exhibited an uneven, sawtooth pattern of progressiv e amelioration, and 7/20 showed an erratic pattern of unpredictable da y-to-day variations. We confirmed the existence and the predictability of cyclical mood patterns in a subgroup of patients. The absence of a linear improvement in perceived mood did not worsen the final respons e to antidepressant therapy. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.