Bipolar I and II disorder residual symptoms: oxcarbazepine and carbamazepine as add-on treatment to lithium in a double-blind, randomized trial.

Bipolar affective disorders often require adjunctive therapy to treat persistent symptoms. In order to evaluate bipolar symptoms inadequately responsive to lithium, we have compared the effects of two structurally related compounds carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (OXC). We evaluated the efficacy and safety of CBZ and OXC administration in residual symptoms as an adjunctive therapy in Bipolar I (BP I) and Bipolar II (BP II) patients while on lithium maintenance treatment.