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Atypical antipsychotics as "mood stabilizers": a retrospective chart review
Haluk A Savas1, Mehmet Yumru, M Cemal Kaya
1Department of Psychiatry, Gaziantep University, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey.
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry
|April 24, 2007
Summary
Atypical antipsychotics (AA) show promise for long-term bipolar I disorder management, with similar efficacy whether used alone or with mood stabilizers (MS). Further research is needed to confirm these findings for maintenance therapy.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Neuroscience
Background:
- Atypical antipsychotics (AA) are increasingly considered for maintenance therapy in bipolar disorders.
- The comparative efficacy of AA monotherapy versus combination therapy with mood stabilizers (MS) requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of atypical antipsychotics (AA) as monotherapy versus combination therapy with mood stabilizers (MS) in the maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective evaluation of 55 patients with bipolar I disorder treated with AA monotherapy or AA+MS for 6 months.
- Clinical status assessed using Bech Rafaelsen Mania Rating Scale (BRMRS), 24-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), and Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI).
Main Results:
- Both treatment groups demonstrated significant clinical improvement over the 6-month maintenance phase.
- No significant difference was observed in the total number of mood episodes between the AA monotherapy and AA+MS groups.
Conclusions:
- Atypical antipsychotics may be beneficial for the long-term management of bipolar I disorder.
- This study is the first to compare AA monotherapy with a combination of MS+AA in a naturalistic setting.
- Larger, prospective studies are necessary to definitively establish the role of AA in bipolar disorder maintenance treatment.
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