Related Experiment Videos
Atypical antipsychotics in bipolar and schizoaffective disorders
E S Brown1, N R Thomas, T Carmody
1University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas Department of Psychiatry, 75390-9070, USA. sherwood.brown@utsouthwestern.edu
Pharmacopsychiatry
|April 17, 2001
Summary
This study found atypical antipsychotics reduced emergency room visits for bipolar disorder patients compared to older drugs. No significant differences were seen in hospitalization rates between atypical agents.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
- Mental Health Treatment
Background:
- Limited comparative data exists on atypical antipsychotic efficacy in bipolar disorder.
- Atypical agents are widely used for bipolar and schizoaffective disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the relative efficacy of different atypical antipsychotic agents.
- To evaluate hospitalization and emergency room visit rates associated with atypical agents versus conventional neuroleptics.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 33 patients with bipolar or schizoaffective disorder.
- Analysis of treatment courses involving at least two different atypical agents.
- Comparison of hospitalization and emergency room visit rates.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in hospitalization rates were observed between individual atypical agents or atypical agents as a class versus conventional neuroleptics.
- Atypical agents showed a significant reduction in emergency room visits compared to conventional neuroleptics.
- Clozapine demonstrated a trend toward greater reduction in emergency room visits than other atypical antipsychotics.
Conclusions:
- Atypical antipsychotics may reduce emergency room utilization in bipolar disorder patients.
- Further large-scale prospective studies are required to validate these findings.
- Clozapine warrants further investigation for its potential in reducing acute psychiatric care needs.