WHAT IS CYCLOTHYMIA

The term ''cyclothymia'' is being used with different meanings. DSM-IV and ICD-10 define ''cyclothymia'' or ''cyclothymic disorder'' as a lo ng lasting, subaffective disorder with frequent shifts between hypoman ic and (sub)depressive states. In the tradition of Kurt Schneider cycl othymia was understood as a synonym for manic-depressive illness exclu sively, while different personality typologies speak of a ''cyclothymi c'' typus. Historically, the term was first used by the German psychia trist Ewald Hecker in 1877. The definitions of DSM-IV and ICD-10 seem to be satisfactory in respect to reliability, but the nosological posi tion of ''cyclothymic disorder'' is unclear. We review results concern ing clinical symptomatology, comorbidity, biological parameters, perso nality (including the question of creativity), psyche- and pharmacothe rapy as well as clinical course, which leave many questions open. Neve rtheless, results in family studies support the idea that at least a f raction of ''cyclothymia'' is a mild or subcinical form of bipolar dis orders. Until further research, which is urgently needed, we suggest t hat the term ''cyclothymia'' should be only used according to the guid elines of DSM-IV and ICD-10.