Risperidone adjunctive therapy duration in the maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder: A post hoc analysis

Lithium, the gold standard drug for bipolar disorder: analysis of current clinical studies

Lithium is the gold standard drug in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Despite increasing scientific interest, relatively few patients with bipolar disorder receive lithium therapy. Lithium is the only drug that is effective in the prophylaxis of manic, depressive, and suicidal symptoms. Lithium therapy is also associated with a variety of adverse drug reactions and the need for therapeutic drug monitoring. Numerous studies have focussed on the efficacy and safety of both lithium-monotherapy and lithium-add-on therapy. The aim of this study is to provide a systematic overview of clinical studies on lithium therapy for bipolar disorder from the last 7 years and to present a critical analysis of these studies. The results provide an up-to-date overview of the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of lithium therapy for bipolar disorder and thus improve the pharmacotherapy of bipolar disorder. A total of 59 studies were analysed using various analysis parameters. The studies were also categorised into different subgroups. These are lithium-monotherapy, lithium vs. placebo/drug, and lithium + adjunctive therapy. The majority of the studies (N = 20) had a duration of only 3-8 weeks. Only 13 studies lasted for > 40 weeks. Lithium was superior to aripiprazole, valproic acid, and quetiapine in terms of improving manic symptoms. Lithium therapy resulted in a lower relapse rate compared to valproic acid therapy. Lithium was more neuroprotectively effective than quetiapine. Fourteen of the 22 add-on therapies to lithium showed a predominantly positive effect on the treatment outcome compared to lithium-monotherapy. Only the add-on therapy with sertraline led to a higher rate of study discontinuations than lithium-monotherapy. Lithium is a safe and effective treatment option for children. However, risperidone and quetiapine were superior to lithium in some aspects, which is why these drugs should be considered as an alternative treatment option for children. Collectively, current clinical studies highlight the relevance of lithium in the treatment of bipolar disorder.

Taiwan consensus on biological treatment of bipolar disorder during the acute, maintenance, and mixed phases: The 2022 update

BACKGROUND

Bipolar disorder is a mood dysregulation characterized by recurrent symptoms and episodes of mania, hypomania, depression, and mixed mood. The complexity of treating patients with bipolar disorder prompted the Taiwanese Society of Biological Psychiatry and Neuropsychopharmacology (TSBPN) to publish the first Taiwan consensus on pharmacological treatment of bipolar disorders in 2012. This paper presents the updated consensus, with changes in diagnostic criteria (i.e., mixed features) and emerging pharmacological evidence published up to April 2022.

METHODS

Our working group systemically reviewed the clinical research evidence and international guidelines and determined the levels of evidence for each pharmacological treatment on the basis of the most recent World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry grading system. Four clinical-specific issues were proposed. The current TSBPN Bipolar Taskforce then discussed research evidence and clinical experience related to each treatment option in terms of efficacy and acceptability and then appraised final recommendation grades through anonymous voting.

RESULTS

In the updated consensus, we include the pharmacological recommendations for bipolar disorder with mixed features considering its high prevalence, the severe clinical prognosis, and the absence of approved medications. Cariprazine, lurasidone, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, and ketamine are incorporated as treatment options. In the maintenance phase, the application of long-acting injectable antipsychotics is emphasized, and the hazards of using antidepressants and conventional antipsychotics are proposed.

CONCLUSIONS

This updated Taiwan consensus on pharmacological treatment for bipolar disorder provides concise evidence-based and empirical recommendations for clinical psychiatric practice. It may facilitate treatment outcome improvement in patients with bipolar disorder.

Pharmacological Strategies for Bipolar Disorders in Acute Phases and Chronic Management with a Special Focus on Lithium, Valproic Acid, and Atypical Antipsychotics

Bipolar disorders (BDs) are a heterogeneous group of severe affective disorders generally described by the alternation of (hypo)manic, depressive, and mixed phases, with euthymic intervals of variable duration. BDs are burdened with high psychiatric and physical comorbidity, increased suicide risk and reduced life expectancy. In addition, BDs can progress into complicated forms (e.g., mixed states, rapid/irregular cycling), which are more difficult to treat and often require personalized pharmacological combinations. Mood stabilizers, particularly Lithium and Valproic acid (VPA), still represent the cornerstones of both acute and chronic pharmacotherapies of BDs. Lithium is the gold standard in BD-I and BDII with typical features, while VPA seems more effective for atypical forms (e.g., mixed-prevalence and rapid-cycling). However, despite appropriate mood stabilization, many patients show residual symptoms, and more than a half recur within 1-2 years, highlighting the need of additional strategies. Among these, the association of atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) with mood stabilizers is recurrent in the treatment of acute phases, but it is also being growingly explored in the maintenance pharmacotherapy. These combinations are clinically more aggressive and often needed in the acute phases, whereas simplifying pharmacotherapies to mood stabilizers only is preferable in the long-term, whenever possible. When mood stabilizers are not enough for maintenance treatment, Quetiapine and, less consistently, Aripiprazole have been proposed as the most advisable adjunctive strategies, for their safety and tolerability profiles. However, in view of the increased risk of serious adverse effects, a careful patient-centered balance between costs and benefits is mandatory.

New Developments in the Use of Atypical Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: a Systematic Review of Recent Randomized Controlled Trials

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Atypical antipsychotics are increasingly used in the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD). This systematic review provides an overview of recently published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the efficacy and safety of atypical antipsychotics in BD.

RECENT FINDINGS

Several studies supported efficacy of quetiapine monotherapy in acute bipolar I (BDI) and bipolar II (BDII) depression. Moreover, quetiapine adjunctive therapy showed superior efficacy to placebo in treatment-resistant bipolar depression. Cariprazine 1.5 mg was effective in treating bipolar I depression. Aripiprazole 400 mg IM once monthly was effective in preventing manic episodes with minimal metabolic effects. In youth with BD, lurasidone was effective and well-tolerated for acute depression while asenapine showed efficacy in treating acute manic and mixed episodes. Recently published RCTs generally support the efficacy of atypical antipsychotics in different phases of BD. Future studies should focus on understudied populations including pediatric BD and geriatric BD and BDII, as well as a focus on cognitive functioning and quality of life measures.

Advances in the psychopharmacotherapy of bipolar disorder type I

INTRODUCTION

Research into the pharmacologic management of bipolar type I illness continues to progress.

AREAS COVERED

Randomized clinical trials performed with type I bipolar disorder in the years 2015 to August 2020 are reviewed. There are new indications for the use of cariprazine, for bipolar mania and depression, and a long-acting injectable formulation of aripiprazole has also been approved for relapse prevention in bipolar illness. Most of the randomized clinical trials are effectiveness studies.

EXPERT OPINION

Over the 20 years from 1997 through 2016, the use of lithium and other mood stabilizers has declined by 50%, while the use of both second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) and antidepressants has increased considerably. Over the same time period (1990-2017), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) increased by 54.4%, from 6.02 million in 1990 to 9.29 million in 2017 which is greater than the 47.74% increase in incidence of the disease, suggesting that the changes in prescribing patterns have not been helpful for our patients. Furthermore, recent effectiveness studies continue to confirm the superiority of lithium and other mood stabilizers in the management of bipolar illness for both psychiatric and medical outcomes, reaffirming their role as foundational treatments in the management of type I bipolar disorder. Clinicians need to reassess their prescribing habits.

Predictors of 1-year rehospitalization in inpatients with bipolar I disorder treated with atypical antipsychotics

Bipolar disorder (BPD) is debilitating disorder, and patients can experience multiple relapses and subsequent hospitalizations. Since pharmacotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for patients with BPD, investigations on the effects of atypical antipsychotics (AAP) on reducing rehospitalization risk are crucial. The objective of study is to explore predictors of 1-year rehospitalization in patients with bipolar I disorder treated with AAP. A retrospective chart review on inpatients with bipolar I disorder was conducted. All participants were followed up for 1 year, and they were subdivided into three AAP treatment groups (olanzapine, risperidone, and quetiapine group). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was implemented to detect time to rehospitalization due to any mood episodes within 1 year after discharge. Cox proportional regression model was adopted to find predictors of 1-year hospitalization in patients who experienced rehospitalization. One hundred thirty-eight participants were included in the study, and a 1-year rehospitalization rate was 18.1%. Time to rehospitalization did not differ between three AAP treatment groups. Predictors of rehospitalization due to any episode within 1 year were family history of depression and number of previous admission. Our findings can be conducive to understanding prognosis, and predicting rehospitalization risk in patients with BPD on AAP.