Late-onset bipolar illness: the geriatric bipolar type VI

Abstract

In parallel to considerable progress in understanding and treatment of bipolarity and despite growing interest in old age psychiatry, late-onset bipolar illness (LOBI) has remained relatively understudied so far, probably in reason of its complexity. To update available data, a systematic review was conducted, focusing on the main issues addressed in literature in regard to this topic. In addition to data on epidemiology, clinical features and treatment, five main issues could be identified: LOBI as secondary disorder, LOBI as expression of a lower vulnerability to the disease, LOBI as subform of pseudodementia, LOBI as risk factor for developing dementia, and LOBI as bipolar type VI (bipolarity in the context of dementia like processes). Levels of available evidence were found to vary according to the addressed issue. Although the concept of bipolar type VI could be criticized for subsuming under one single heading all the four other issues, this concept may be of pragmatic value in helping clinicians to orientate both diagnosis process and treatment decisions. Among others, the question as to whether some forms of bipolar type VI could constitute a special risk factor for developing dementia deserves further investigation. More studies are also needed to better disentangle the effects of age at onset from those of age itself.