Objective: This article aims to describe the adaptation and translation process of the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS) and its reduced version, the Bush-Francis Catatonia Screening Instrument (BFCSI) for Brazilian Portuguese, as well as its validation. Methods: Semantic equivalence processes included four steps: translation, back translation, evaluation of semantic equivalence and a pilot-study. Validation consisted of simultaneous applications of the instrument in Portuguese by two examiners in 30 catatonic and 30 non-catatonic patients. Results: Total scores averaged 20.07 for the complete scale and 7.80 for its reduced version among catatonic patients, compared with 0.47 and 0.20 among non-catatonic patients, respectively. Overall values of inter-rater reliability of the instruments were 0.97 for the BFCSI and 0.96 for the BFCRS. Conclusion: The scale's version in Portuguese proved to be valid and was able to distinguish between catatonic and non-catatonic patients. It was also reliable, with inter-evaluator reliability indexes as high as those of the original instrument.

Introduction: Prospective studies have shown that the course of bipolar disorder (BD) is characterized by the persistence of symptoms, predominantly depression, along most of the time. However, to our knowledge, no studies in Latin America have investigated it. Objectives: To replicate international studies using a Brazilian sample to prospectively analyze treatment outcomes in the first year and to determine potential chronicity factors. Methods: We followed up 102 patients with BD for 12 months and evaluated the number of months with affective episodes and the intensity of manic and depressive symptoms using the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D17). Sociodemographic and retrospective clinical data were examined to determine possible predictors of outcome. Results: Almost 50% of the patients had symptoms about half of the time, and there was a predominance of depressive episodes. Disease duration and number of depressive episodes were predictors of chronicity. Depressive polarity of the first episode and a higher number of depressive episodes predicted the occurrence of new depressive episodes. Conclusion: In general, BD outcome seems to be poor in the first year of monitoring, despite adequate treatment. There is a predominance of depressive symptoms, and previous depressive episodes are a predictor of new depressive episodes and worse outcome.

Background: Affective temperament may strongly influence psychopathological characteristics in mood disorders such as clinical course of major or minor affective episodes, predominant polarity, clinical symptoms, long term clinical course, suicidality, and response/adherence to medication.Objective: The objective of this work is evaluate the association between affective temperament and clinical characteristics in bipolar disorder (BD) patients.Method: 88 euthymic bipolar patients were evaluated through Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D), Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Clinical Global Impressions Scale for use in bipolar illness (CGI-BP), and TEMPS-Rio de Janeiro. Identification, sociodemographic data, and clinical information as age on disease onset, number of manic episodes, number of depressive episodes, polarity of first affective episode, and history of suicidal attempts, if any, from each patient were collected.Results: Our results founded that high scores in cyclothymic, irritable, depressive and anxious temperaments were associated with at least one suicide attempt. Higher scores of anxious temperament were associated with depressive polarity in the first episode of the disease as well as higher amount of manic episodes. Higher scores of hyperthymic temperament were associated with manic polarity in the first episode of the disease. Higher scores of depressive temperament were associated with higher scores in total HAM-D and specifically with higher scores in items 1 and 2 of HAM-D, i.e., depressive mood and guilt. No correlation was found between temperament and intensity of subsyndromal manic symptoms.Conclusion: We concluded that affective temperaments in BD are associated with history of suicide attempts, seem to influence polarity of first episode and that depressive temperament seems to relate to more intense subsyndromal depressive symptoms, especially depressive mood and guilt.