Prodromal symptoms and intermittent drug medication in mood disorders.

There has been very little interest in research on prodromal symptoms of mood disorders. This paper reviews the literature concerned with bipolar disorder and unipolar depression. In both illnesses, recent preliminary studies would suggest that within each patient there is a striking consistency in prodromal symptoms preceding each episode. Since the appearance of prodromal symptoms generally precedes the full syndrome by weeks or months, the findings pave the way for the intermittent use of medications (antidepressants and lithium) in mood disorders.