[Antidepressive therapy with carbamazepine (Finlepsin)]

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Pharmacology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Endogenous affective disorders, such as manic-depressive illness, represent a significant challenge in psychiatric treatment.
• Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an anticonvulsant medication with potential mood-stabilizing properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of Carbamazepine (CBZ) in treating patients diagnosed with endogenous affective disorders.
• To assess the clinical response and side-effects of CBZ in patients experiencing manic and depressive phases of manic-depressive illness.

Main Methods:

• An open, controlled clinical trial was conducted involving 15 patients with manic-depressive illness (2 manic, 13 depressive phases).
• Weekly blood levels of CBZ were monitored.
• Psychometric methods including SPES, AMP, HAMD, B-S [v. Zerssen], and Beck-Inventory were used to measure clinical response.

Main Results:

• Good regression of psychopathological symptoms was observed in the two patients with manic syndrome within the first week.
• Positive therapeutic results were noted in the majority of depressive patients, with 11 cases showing improvement within the initial days of treatment.
• No definitive correlation was established between CBZ blood levels and the observed clinical responses.

Conclusions:

• Carbamazepine (CBZ) demonstrates significant efficacy in the treatment of both manic and depressive phases of manic-depressive illness.
• The medication appears to be well-tolerated, with rare and transient side-effects.
• Further research may be warranted to explore the relationship between CBZ pharmacokinetics and clinical outcomes.