47,49 These studies did not detect any benefit from lamotrigine on the primary
end points (change in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HAM-D], or Montgomery–
Åsberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS]) relative to placebo. An independent
meta-analysis of the same five studies found significant (but only modest) benefits for
lamotrigine with a relative risk of response of 1.27 for the HAM-D and 1.22 for the
166 The ability of lamotrigine to reduce the risk of relapse to depression is
less controversial. A pooled analysis of two long-term studies (up to 18 months) with
lamotrigine found a 36% reduction in the risk of relapse to depression.
Lamotrigine was well tolerated with no difference from placebo in any side effect.
Because lamotrigine has limited antimanic properties, patients with a history of
severe, recent, or recurrent mania should only take lamotrigine in combination with
an antimanic drug, such as lithium.
The combination of lamotrigine and lithium may confer additional benefits on
reducing depressive symptoms and should be considered for bipolar depression.
Patients stabilized on lithium (predefined range of 0.6–1.2 mEq/L, mostly >3 months’
duration) were randomly assigned to receive lamotrigine (200 mg/day) or placebo.
The lithium–lamotrigine group had a response rate of 52% (based on MADRS
scores) compared with 32% for the lithium–placebo group.
study, clinical experience, and the need for long-term tolerability, the combination of
lamotrigine and lithium is an appropriate treatment when monotherapy with these
Due to valproate’s inhibition of UGT2B7, it can increase lamotrigine’s AUC by
2.6-fold. Clinicians should pay particular attention to the dosing with initiating or
discontinuing either medication in the presence of the other medication.
AAPs offer another option for the treatment of bipolar depression. Quetiapine has
demonstrated efficacy in a total of four 8-week double-blind, placebo-controlled
169–172 Response rates ranged from 58% to 69% for the
300-mg dose, and 58% to 70% for the 600-mg dose. Both doses were commonly
associated with sedation, somnolence, dry mouth, and dizziness. Clinically
significant weight gain (≥7% of baseline weight) was detected in roughly 5% to 10%
of subjects receiving quetiapine.
The combination of olanzapine with fluoxetine is effective for patients with
In a 7-week acute-phase treatment, OFC was superior to
lamotrigine in symptom improvement but not significantly different in response rate
(69% with OFC vs. 60% with lamotrigine).
174 The rate of relapse to depression
during the 6-month study was low and similar between OFC and lamotrigine (14%
vs. 18%). In an extension of this study (for a total of 6 months), OFC caused
significant elevations in all metabolic parameters (weight, glucose, prolactin,
175 Most alarming was a 34% incidence of clinically significant weight
gain in the OFC group (vs. 2% with lamotrigine). Therefore, the risk of metabolic
complications should be taken into consideration when selecting this treatment.
Lurasidone has demonstrated efficacy in two 6-week, randomized, double-blind
controlled clinical trials as monotherapy at either 20 to 60 mg/day and 80 to 120
mg/day. Response rates were 53% for the low dose, 51% for the high dose, and 30%
for placebo. An additional study with a similar design failed to separate from
placebo. An adjunct to lithium or VPA trial demonstrated response rates of 57% of
lurasidone with either lithium or VPA compared to 42% of placebo with either
176–178 Table 87-7 provides dosing information for AAPs approved
for the treatment of bipolar depression.
Despite its efficacy in treatment-resistant unipolar depression, aripiprazole does
not appear to be effective for bipolar depression on the basis of two randomized,
172 , 179 Considering these findings, the CANMAT guidelines have
listed aripiprazole as not recommended for acute bipolar depression.
have not been systematically studied in bipolar depression.
The use of antidepressants in BD has been hotly debated. Some guidelines
recommend restrictive use of antidepressants because of concerns about mood
switching and cycle acceleration.
48 Other guidelines recommend early treatment with
antidepressants, particularly SSRIs, to address the recurrent depressive episodes.
In either case, there is agreement that antidepressants should only be used in
combination with antimanic agents such as VPA, lithium, or an AAP.
controlled trial of antidepressant augmentation in bipolar depression was conducted
as part of the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder
adjunctive treatment to an antimanic agent.
81 The primary end point of durable
recovery (euthymia for 8 weeks) was achieved in 24% of antidepressant-treated
subjects compared with 27% receiving placebo. There was no significant difference
between groups in treatment emergent mood switch. A recent meta-analysis of 15
studies, primarily with bupropion or SSRIs, found that antidepressants were no more
effective than placebo for acute (<16 weeks) bipolar depression.
did not find an increased risk of mood switch. Therefore, although it appeared to be
safe to add the antidepressant in regard to switching into mania, there is question
about whether there is a large benefit on depressive symptoms.
Atypical Antipsychotic Dosing in Bipolar Depression
Atypical Antipsychotic Initial Dose Titration Effective Dose Range
Lurasidone 20 mg/day 20 mg every 2 days 20–120 mg/day
Olanzapine/Fluoxetine 6/25 mg/day As indicated 12/50 mg/day
Quetiapine (IR and XR) 50 mg/day 100 mg Day 2
(quetiapine XR) [package insert]. Wilmington, DE: AstraZeneca; July 2009.
Because H.C. did not respond to lithium in combination with VPA during her past
depressive episode, an alternative first-line agent such as lamotrigine is a reasonable
choice. OFC or quetiapine may compromise her type 2 diabetes control and thus are
not appropriate options. Lurasidone would also be an alternate choice, although no
current data exist in comparing it to lamotrigine, quetiapine, or OFC for the treatment
in bipolar depression. Dosing of lamotrigine needs to account for H.C.’s concurrent
use of VPA, which is known to inhibit the metabolism of lamotrigine. Therefore, the
initial dose for H.C. is 25 mg every other day for weeks 1 and 2 followed by an
increase to 25 mg/day for weeks 3 and 4. The dose can be increased to 50 mg/day for
week 5 and then to a maximum of 100 mg/day beginning at week 6. In the absence of
VPA, the recommended target dose of lamotrigine is 200 mg/day. In patients taking
enzyme inducers (e.g., CBZ), the target dose is 200 mg twice daily.
appropriate titration schedule must be followed for lamotrigine (see also Chapter 60,
risk factor for the development of this dangerous cutaneous reaction; therefore, H.C.
should be instructed to contact her physician immediately if a skin rash develops.
MAINTENANCE THERAPY OF BIPOLAR
should R.L. be maintained on lithium?
Recurrent episodes are associated with decreased quality of life, poorer response
to treatment, longer hospitalizations, and cognitive impairment.
maintenance (prophylactic) treatment is indicated to prevent disease progression.
Appropriate goals for maintenance therapy include an increase in the interval
between episodes, a decrease in the frequency of episodes, and a reduction in the
duration and severity of mood episodes. In most cases, patients will have been
started on an acute treatment for a manic or depressive episode. These agents should
generally be continued because abrupt switches in medications may predict poorer
The aforementioned meta-analysis (Case 87-7, Question 1) of long-term lithium
therapy for relapse prevention in BD included five randomized, placebo-controlled
163 Although lithium did not effectively reduce the risk of relapse to
depression, it did reduce the risk of relapse to any mood episode (risk ratio, 0.66)
and to manic episodes specifically (risk ratio, 0.62). The average risk of relapse to
any mood episode on lithium was 40% versus 60% for placebo. The average risk of
relapse to a manic episode was 14% for lithium versus 24% for placebo.
In the case of R.L., he should be continued on lithium. The target levels for
maintenance therapy with lithium should be in the range of 0.5 to 0.8 mEq/L.
levels ranging from 0.8 to 1.0 mEq/L are associated with a reduced number of
relapses (compared with levels between 0.4 and 0.6 mEq/L) but also have an
elevated risk of side effects.
In addition to determining an appropriate maintenance lithium level for R.L., it is
important to consider whether once-daily administration of lithium can improve
adherence or adverse effects. During periods of dosage readjustment, R.L. will
require monitoring of his lithium serum level more frequently. Once stabilized, the
monitoring frequency can be reduced to quarterly. See Table 87-3 for recommended
lithium monitoring guidelines.
CASE 87-8, QUESTION 2: What other maintenance treatments for BD are available should R.L. fail to
VPA and lamotrigine are reasonable alternatives to lithium that have shown efficacy
in BD maintenance therapy. In the first controlled trial of VPA for the maintenance
treatment of BD, patients were randomly assigned to receive VPA, lithium, or
placebo and followed for 52 weeks.
183 The three groups did not differ with regard to
the primary outcome of time to any mood episode. However, a lower percentage of
patients discontinued treatment for any reason in the VPA group (62%) than lithium
(76%) or placebo (75%); patients on VPA remained in the study longer (198 days)
than patients on lithium (152 days) but not placebo (165 days). The mean VPA serum
concentration was 85 mcg/mL. Lamotrigine has been studied rigorously in the
maintenance treatment of BD. A pooled analysis of two placebo-controlled studies
found that lamotrigine and lithium more than doubled the time to intervention (e.g.,
addition of pharmacotherapy or ECT) for any mood episode compared with placebo
(s e e Case 87-7, Question 1).
167 The time to intervention was 197 days for
lamotrigine, 187 days for lithium, and 86 days for placebo. Lithium preferentially
prevented manic relapses, whereas lamotrigine preferentially prevented depressive
AAPs have become increasingly popular alternatives and adjunctive treatments for
maintenance therapy of BD. To date, aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine
(adjunctive), risperidone long-acting injection, and ziprasidone (adjunctive) have
BD. No monotherapy options were associated with significantly reduced risk for
both manic/mixed and depressive poles compared to each other, while the only
combination, quetiapine plus lithium or VPA demonstrated significant reduction in
risk versus the comparator of placebo in reduced risk for both poles.
term risk of side effects, including metabolic complications and EPS, should be the
primary consideration for selecting one AAP over another (see Case 87-5, Question
CASE 87-8, QUESTION 3: What is the role of psychotherapy in BD?
Psychotherapy can have a profound effect on the prevention of acute illness, as
well as a sustained effect on maintenance treatments. Excessive stress, for example,
is often implicated in the onset of affective episodes, particularly early in the lifetime
If individuals and their families can learn to avoid these triggers or to
develop coping skills, the acute impact can be minimized and future episodes
Therapy may also help the family to cope with the extreme emotions and disruption
that are the hallmark of acute manic and depressive episodes. Violent outbursts,
infidelity, financial debts, substance abuse, suicidal thinking, and loss of self-esteem
may all be a byproduct of mood recurrence, and family members must come to terms
with such calamities, as well as fears surrounding future episodes. Regular sleep–
wake cycles seem vital to the maintenance of euthymic states; thus, improvements in
sleep hygiene may be encouraged in these sessions. Last, sustained medication
adherence must also be emphasized; individuals with BD will often stop their
medications in an effort to resume the “highs” of mania or because of the cumulative
side effect burden of complex psychotropic regimens.
FDA-Approved Medications for Bipolar Disorder
Drug Mania Mixed Depression Maintenance
Carbamazepine (extended-release capsule) X X
Valproate (divalproex sodium) X X
Risperidone long-acting injection X
aMonotherapy or adjunct to lithium or valproate.
FDA, Food and Drug Administration.
The specific psychotherapeutic approach to BD is generally quite similar to
interventions offered to individuals with schizophrenia. Family-focused therapy
seems to be quite effective, as are cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal and social
rhythm therapy. Collaborative care models have been extensively studied for
unipolar depression in primary-care settings, but the effectiveness of collaborative
care models for bipolar illness is less clear. In fact, in the STEP-BD trials,
collaborative care was the least effective intervention.
were 77% with family-focused therapy, 64% with interpersonal and social rhythm
therapy, 60% with cognitive-behavioral therapy, and 54% with collaborative care.
Experts contend that the collaborative care intervention was comparatively less
intensive than the other three treatment modalities in this report.
Although most experts advocate for regular physical activity to prevent bipolar
mood swings, the body of literature supporting such an approach is very limited.
Lifestyle surveys have demonstrated that people afflicted with BD are less likely to
exercise and more likely to exhibit poor dietary habits than those without a serious
186 Theoretically, exercise may improve dietary habits, regulate sleep,
increase energy, and promote euthymic moods. As a result, increased physical
activity would be expected to improve the prognosis of bipolar illness and should be
encouraged at the very least for the physical health benefits.
CASE 87-8, QUESTION 4: Are there other treatment options for BD?
A wide variety of herbal preparations and dietary supplements have been studied for
the treatment of BD. A meta-analysis of double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of
combined bipolar and unipolar depression found significant benefit of omega-3 fatty
acid supplementation compared with placebo in patients with depressive episodes.
In most cases, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, including eicosapentaenoic acid
alone or in combination with docosahexaenoic acid, was used as adjunctive
treatment. The doses studied ranged from 1 g/day of eicosapentaenoic acid to 9.6
g/day of combined eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid.
Inositol was recently compared with lamotrigine and risperidone in an
augmentation trial for bipolar depression.
188 The three treatments were equivalent
with regard to recovery from depression; however, the study was open label and the
sample size was small (n = 66). Saint-John’s-wort and S-adenosyl-L-methionine may
be effective for depressive episodes; however, these agents, like traditional
antidepressants, should generally be avoided in BD owing to the risk of mood
ECT is effective in all phases of BD and continues to play a vital role in the
contemporary treatment of mood disorders. The efficacy of ECT in bipolar
depression is equivalent to unipolar depression with approximately 80% of patients
achieving a response and 60% meeting criteria for remission.
in acute mania are similarly impressive. In a review spanning 50 years of research,
“remission or marked clinical improvement” was achieved in 80% of patients.
BD medication regimens need to be carefully evaluated before ECT treatment.
Anticonvulsants and benzodiazepines raise the seizure threshold and interfere with
the effectiveness of ECT. A retrospective analysis found that patients taking
anticonvulsants achieved the same overall clinical response but required more ECT
treatments and a longer hospital stay.
192 An exception is the concurrent use of
lamotrigine, which appears to have no significant effect on electrical stimulus dose
193 Lithium use with ECT has been discouraged on the basis of
early reports of organic brain syndrome; however, a more recent prospective study
found the combination to be safe in a younger population
without risk factors for ECT complications.
194,195 Small case series and clinical
experience suggest that AAPs are safe to use during ECT.
ECT remains an effective and important tool for the treatment of BD, particularly
bipolar depression, which is highly recurrent and has limited safe and effective
treatment options. All patients failing to respond to standard BD pharmacotherapy,
presenting with severe mood symptoms, or not otherwise appropriate for medication
treatment should be considered for ECT.
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