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Is adjunctive open-label zonisamide effective for bipolar disorder?
S Nassir Ghaemi1, Arshia A Shirzadi, Jeffry Klugman
1Bipolar Disorder Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States. nghaemi@emory.edu
Journal of Affective Disorders
|June 26, 2007
Summary
Zonisamide showed modest effectiveness as an add-on treatment for bipolar disorder, with 26% of patients showing improvement. Sedation was the most common side effect, and nearly half of patients discontinued treatment early.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Bipolar disorder is a complex mood disorder requiring effective treatment strategies.
- Zonisamide is an anticonvulsant medication with potential mood-stabilizing properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of zonisamide as an adjunctive therapy in patients with bipolar disorder.
- To identify predictors of treatment response to zonisamide in this population.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective chart review of 35 outpatients with bipolar disorder treated with zonisamide.
- Patients received zonisamide as adjunctive therapy to standard mood stabilizers.
- Treatment response was assessed using the Clinical Global Impressions - Improvement (CGI-I) scale.
Main Results:
- Zonisamide demonstrated moderate to marked effectiveness in 26% of patients.
- The most common indications for treatment were depressive, manic/hypomanic, or mixed symptoms.
- Sedation was the most frequent side effect (25%), and 49% of patients discontinued treatment prematurely, primarily due to adverse effects.
Conclusions:
- Adjunctive zonisamide appears to offer modest global improvement in bipolar disorder patients on complex medication regimens.
- These preliminary findings suggest a potential role for zonisamide in mood disorder treatment, warranting further investigation.
- Larger studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of zonisamide for mood disorders.
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