Learning Objective: After participating in this activity, learners should be better able to:• Evaluate the evidence regarding the effectiveness of long-term treatment of bipolar disorder with valproate.
Background: Prophylactic treatment is critical for bipolar disorder (BD) patients. Valproate is commonly used for this purpose but lacks regulatory approval and carries appreciable risks.
Methods: Systematic literature searching through June 2020 sought prospective trials lasting ≥12 months with adults diagnosed with BD to support comparisons of risk of new illness episodes with valproate versus placebo or other agents.
Results: Included were 13 reports involving 9240 subjects treated for an average of 29.1 months (range, 12-124) in 21 trials: 9 were blinded, randomized trials (RCTs) of valproate versus placebo (n = 3), lithium (5), or olanzapine (1); 2 were unblinded RCTs versus lithium (1) or quetiapine (1); and 10 were open-label trials versus lithium (5), quetiapine (2), carbamazepine (1), lamotrigine (1), or olanzapine (1). Random-effects meta-analysis found valproate superior to placebo in 3 trials (odds ratio [OR] = 0.42 [95% confidence level (CI), 0.30-0.60]; p < .0001). In 11 trials, protective effects with valproate and lithium were similar (OR = 1.20 [CI, 0.81-1.79]; p = .36), as well in 5 comparisons versus antipsychotics quetiapine and olanzapine (OR = 0.96 [CI, 0.66-1.40]; p = .84), and 2 versus other mood-stabilizing anticonvulsants (carbamazepine and lamotrigine) (OR = 1.30 [CI, 0.75-2.26]; p = .34). Valproate was nonsignificantly more effective versus new mania than depression (χ2 = 3.03; p = .08).
Conclusions: Valproate was more effective than placebo in preventing new BD episodes of mania or depression, and not significantly different from lithium, second-generation antipsychotics, or other anticonvulsants. Overall benefits were nonsignificantly greater versus mania than bipolar depression.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0000000000000292 | DOI Listing |
Cureus
December 2024
Psychiatry, Psychiatrisch Ziekenhuis Asster, Sint-Truiden, BEL.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is widely recognized as a safe and effective intervention for treating severe affective episodes in patients with bipolar disorder. However, it can sometimes precipitate unexpected manic phases in patients treated for a depressive episode, a phenomenon known as ECT-induced mania. While this occurrence is recognized, it remains poorly understood and minimally addressed in the literature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEClinicalMedicine
August 2024
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Warneford Lane, Oxford, OX3 7JX, United Kingdom.
Background: While semaglutide, approved for type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is being investigated as a treatment for brain disorders, concerns over adverse neuropsychiatric events have emerged. More data are therefore needed to assess the effects of semaglutide on brain health. This study provides robust estimates of the risk of neurological and psychiatric outcomes following semaglutide use compared to three other antidiabetic medications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe investigated small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) from the prefrontal cortex of 93 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (SCZ) or bipolar disorder (BD) and 77 controls. We uncovered recurring complex sncRNA profiles, with 98% of all sncRNAs being accounted for by miRNA isoforms (60.6%), tRNA-derived fragments (17.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Psychiatry
December 2024
Department of Psychiatry, University of Health Sciences, Erzurum Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Türkiye.
Introduction: The study aimed to evaluate, both comparatively and longitudinally, the effects of receiving services from community mental health centers on the stigma levels of patients and relatives and the burden of care for patients with severe mental illness.
Methods: The study was planned to be conducted on patients with severe mental illness [schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) and bipolar disorder (BD)] and their relatives, followed by the community mental health center (CMHC group) and the outpatient clinic (outpatient group). It was planned to provide psychoeducation to relatives once a month for 2 h; meetings with the case manager at least once every 2 weeks; and psychosocial interventions (social inclusion, daily life activities studies, etc.
In studies of individuals of primarily European genetic ancestry, common and low-frequency variants and rare coding variants have been found to be associated with the risk of bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ). However, less is known for individuals of other genetic ancestries or the role of rare non-coding variants in BD and SZ risk. We performed whole genome sequencing of African American individuals: 1,598 with BD, 3,295 with SZ, and 2,651 unaffected controls (InPSYght study).
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