A long-term prospective study on the outcome of bipolar patients treated with long-acting injectable risperidone

Real-world effectiveness of long-acting injectable vs. oral antipsychotics in patients with bipolar I disorder: a 1-year retrospective observational study

OBJECTIVE

Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics are recommended in the treatment non-adherence. Despite the widespread use of LAI antipsychotics, there is limited data on clinical outcomes in bipolar I disorder (BD-I) patients with real-world data. We aimed to compare BD-I patients treated with LAI and oral antipsychotics (OAP) in terms of treatment effectiveness in a 1-year follow-up period.

METHODS

The study was conducted retrospectively with electronic health records of 116 BDI patients. The primary outcomes were whether patients in the LAI group and the OAP group differed in relapse, rehospitalization, emergency room (ER) visits, and all-cause treatment discontinuation at 1-year follow-up after a mania episode. Cox regression modeling was used to predict the recurrence of any mood episode and all-cause treatment discontinuation during follow-up. The secondary outcomes evaluated were the effects of sociodemographic and clinical parameters and concomitant psychotropic medications on the course of the illness and treatment adherence.

RESULTS

Of all 116 patients, 33 (28.4%) were under LAI, and 83 (71.6%) were under OAP treatment. LAI users had a history of more hospitalizations and total mood episodes. Patients in the LAI group had more treatment non-adherence before the index hospitalization. At 1-year follow-up, there was no difference between the groups in terms of any mood relapse, rehospitalization, ER visits, and all-cause treatment discontinuation. As a secondary outcome, lithium users were found to have fewer new episodes and discontinuations of treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

In real-world data, there is no evidence that LAI antipsychotics (compared to OAP) are superior in the maintenance treatment of BD. These results are important in terms of reflecting clinical practices for the treatment of BD-I. These results do not devalue the use of LAI therapy in BD; however, more studies are needed to identify positive predictors for LAI treatments in BD.

Impact of long-acting injectable antipsychotics vs. oral medication on relapses of patients with psychosis and bipolar disorder

Relapse associated with multiple hospital readmissions of patients with chronic and severe mental disorders, such as psychosis and bipolar disorder, is frequently associated with non-adherence to treatment. The primary aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of long-acting injectable (LAI) treatment, vs. oral medication in reducing readmissions of patients with psychotic or bipolar disorder in a community sample of 164 patients with psychosis and 29 patients with bipolar disorder (n = 193), with poor adherence to oral medication. The mean follow up period was 5.6 years and the number of readmissions were compared for an equal-length period of oral treatment preceding the onset of LAI administration. We observed a significant decrease of 45.2 % in total hospital readmissions after receiving LAIs treatment. The effect was significant both for patients with a pre-LAI treatment history of predominantly voluntary hospitalizations and with predominantly involuntary admissions. In addition, we observed equal effectiveness of first- vs. second-generation LAIs in reducing total hospital readmissions regardless of type of pre-treatment admission history (voluntary vs. involuntary). LAIs appear to be effective in reducing both voluntary and involuntary hospital readmissions in patients with psychosis and bipolar disorder with a history of poor adherence to treatment.

Effect of long-acting injectable antipsychotics on emergency department visits and hospital admissions in people with bipolar disorder: A retrospective mirror-image analysis from the Northern Milan Area Cohort (NOMIAC) study

BACKGROUND

Mood recurrences in bipolar disorder (BD) are often associated with poor treatment adherence. Despite long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) may favor treatment compliance, their use in BD is still poorly explored.

METHODS

This mirror-image study investigated the effect of LAIs initiation on the number of emergency department (ED) visits and days of hospitalization, among individuals with BD from the mental health services of a large area of the Metropolitan City of Milan. The mirror periods were 365 days either side of the LAI initiation. Individual medical records were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight individuals with BD initiating a LAI over the index period were included. We estimated that LAI initiation overall reduced both ED visits (p = 0.002) and days of hospitalization (p < 0.001). This remained true only for those participants who i) continued LAI for the entire 12-month period of observation and ii) were treated with a second-generation antipsychotic LAI. In addition, LAI initiation reduced number of hospitalization days during hypo/manic (p = 0.013), but not depressive (p = 0.641) episodes, as well as compulsory admission days (p = 0.002).

LIMITATIONS

Due to the retrospective design, we could not collect systematic information on symptom severity and reasons of LAI discontinuation. Moreover, the limited sample size did not allow us to estimate effectiveness of single LAI agents.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides additional insight on the effectiveness of LAIs in BD, supporting their clinical utility for pragmatic outcomes such as ED visits and hospitalizations. Further longitudinal research is needed to clarify the real-world effectiveness of LAIs for BD clinical management.

Effect of long acting injectable antipsychotics on course and hospitalizations in bipolar disorder - a naturalistic mirror image study

PURPOSE

To determining whether the addition of a long-acting injectable antipsychotic (LAI-AP) has a positive effect on prognosis in bipolar disorder.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Medical records of patients with bipolar disorder who were using LAI-AP at least for one year in the community mental health center (CMHC) until March 2020 were investigated. Comparisons were made between the period of one year before and after the initiation of LAI-AP. Hospital admission was the primary outcome. Residual symptom severity and functionality were evaluated with Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP), Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).

RESULTS

There were 197 patients with bipolar disorder who were attending to the CMHC and 17 of them were under maintenance treatment with LAI-AP for at least one year. The LAI-APs used were aripiprazole (n = 8), paliperidone (n = 5) and risperidone (n = 4). Duration of illness was 13.5 ± 8.02 years and duration of LAI-AP treatment was 24.8 ± 22.74 months (median: 18). During the one-year period after the LAI-AP initiation, there were fewer days spent in hospital (2.5 ± 5.68 vs. 15.5 ± 20.59 days, p = .026) and the number of hospitalizations was lower than the year before the LAI-AP use (0.1 ± 0.39 vs. 0.9 ± 1.24 hospitalizations, p = .013). During the recovery period with LAI antipsychotics, there were mild residual symptoms presented with mean PSP (70.2), YMRS (1.7) and BDI (7.6) scores.

CONCLUSION

LAI-AP use may have positive effect on course for selected patients with a long history of bipolar disorder.

The effects of adding long-acting injectable antipsychotic drugs to clozapine on relapse and hospitalization in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia: a mirror-image retrospective study

The literature assessing the addition of long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) to clozapine is limited. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the safety and effectiveness of adding LAIs to clozapine in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Patients aged 18-65 years with TRS, who were treated with first-generation (FGA-LAIs) and second-generation (SGA-LAIs) for at least 1 year after clozapine use, were included retrospectively by registration system scanning. Effectiveness measures included relapses and hospitalizations and days of hospitalization. Safety outcomes included levels of neutrophils, fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and prolactin. The data of 29 patients who met the study criteria were evaluated. The numbers and days of hospitalizations and the numbers of relapses significantly decreased after LAI addition. Comparisons of the neutrophil counts and the total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, LDL, prolactin, and fasting blood glucose levels as safety indicators of the clozapine and LAI combination revealed no statistically significant change in these values before and after LAI addition. Adding LAIs to clozapine is apparently well tolerated in patients with TRS and may have a positive effect on the course of the disease.

Impact of initiating long-acting injectable paliperidone palmitate on relapse and hospitalization in patients with bipolar I disorder: A mirror image retrospective study

Literature assessing the use of long-acting injectable paliperidone palmitate in patients with bipolar I disorder is limited. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the effectiveness of long-acting injectable paliperidone palmitate treatment on relapse and hospitalization in a real-world setting. Patients with bipolar I disorder aged 18-65 years, who were treated with paliperidone palmitate once-monthly (PP1M) for at least one year, were included. The rate of relapse, hospitalization, and length of hospital stay were collected. Safety outcomes included levels of prolactin, fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein, and low density lipoprotein. The data of 36 patients who met the study criteria were evaluated. Number and length of hospitalizations, number of manic and mixed episodes significantly decreased after PP1M addition. When we compared the prolactin, fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein, and low density lipoprotein levels as an indicator of the safety of treatment, there was no statistically significant change in these values before and after PP1M addition. Our findings suggested PP1M may be effective in reducing manic and mixed episodes. Limitations include a mirror image retrospective design and small sample size.

Long-Acting Injectable Second-Generation/Atypical Antipsychotics for the Management of Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Non-adherence to medications is a major determinant of poor outcome in bipolar disorder. Second-generation long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics help ensure medication adherence which in turn can lead to more favourable outcomes. However, the role of these medications in bipolar disorder is not well established.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to review available evidence relating to the efficacy and safety of using second-generation LAI antipsychotics in bipolar disorder.

METHODS

PRISMA guidelines were followed to systematically review all clinical studies that reported on the efficacy and safety of second-generation LAI antipsychotics in patients with bipolar disorder. We searched Ovid Medline, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to November 2018.

RESULTS

Of 459 identified citations, 53 studies were fully evaluated and 37 met our inclusion criteria. Overall, second-generation LAI antipsychotics were found to be well tolerated and effective for treatment of manic symptoms and preventing mood recurrences in adults with bipolar disorder. However, we found disparity in the evidence available for individual agents. While several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reported on the use of risperidone LAI in bipolar disorder, we found only one RCT on the use of aripiprazole LAI, and none for use of paliperidone palmitate or olanzapine pamoate (evidence for the former is limited to one observational study and one case series, and for the latter to a single case report). Studies in children and adolescents were restricted to case reports and small open-label studies.

CONCLUSION

Second-generation LAI antipsychotics, particularly risperidone and aripiprazole LAI, may be a safe and effective alternative to oral medications in the management of bipolar disorder.

Long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) for maintenance treatment of bipolar and schizoaffective disorders: A systematic review

Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics (LAIs) are used to overcome non-compliance in psychoses, mainly schizophrenia spectrum disorders. We aimed to summarize available evidence of studies comparing the efficacy of LAIs to placebo or oral medications for Bipolar Disorder (BD) and/or Schizoaffective Disorder (SAD). We searched six databases from inception to 28-March-2018, using the strategy: long-acting antipsychotics AND (bipolar disorder OR schizoaffective disorder OR mania OR manic OR bipolar depression). We included peer-reviewed double-blind comparisons of LAIs for any clinical outcome occurrence in BD, or open mirror studies with same prospective as retrospective assessment periods. We excluded studies reporting on mixed schizophrenia/SAD populations without reporting results separately. The pooled records amounted to 642. After duplicate removal and inclusion/exclusion criteria application, we included 15 studies, 6 double-blind and 9 open, 13 assessing BD and 2 SAD. Depot neuroleptics prevented manic, but not depressive recurrences and may worsen depressive symptoms. Risperidone long-acting injectable was found to be effective in protecting from any mood/manic symptom compared to placebo, but not from depressive recurrences. Add-on or monotherapy paliperidone palmitate in SAD patients protected from psychotic, depressive, and manic symptoms. In patients with BD-I with a manic episode at study enrolment, aripiprazole monohydrate significantly delayed time to recurrence of manic episodes without inducing depressive episodes. LAIs are effective and well-tolerated maintenance treatments for BD and SAD. They showed better efficacy in preventing mania than depression. LAIs may be first-line for BD-I and SAD patients with a manic predominant polarity and with non-adherence problems.

Clinical characteristics of antidepressant use and related manic switch in bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between clinical and treatment characteristics and antidepressants (AD)-induced manic switch in bipolar disorder (BD).

METHODS

Total of 238 euthymic BD patients, who had been followed-up for at least 6 months at the outpatient clinic of Haseki Training and Research Hospital in istanbul, Turkey, were enrolled in this cross-sectional study in 2016. Semi-structured data form, the mood chart, and the mirror-designated assessment were applied to all subjects. The files of the patients were retrospectively reviewed and the patients using ADs were compared as AD-monotherapy (AD-m) and AD-combination (AD-c) groups, then divided into 2 subgroups according to the presence/absence of manic switch under AD treatment.

RESULTS

Fifty eight (47.15%) patients out of 123 who received ADs at least once had experienced a manic switch under AD treatment. The rate of manic switch in AD-m patients was significantly higher than the AD-c group. Independent from being monotherapy or combined treatment, AD use longer than 12 months was negatively associated with the occurrence of manic switch.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that the risk of manic switch is especially prominent in the first months of AD use. Antidepressants use in combining it with a mood stabilizers (MS) may not be adequate in preventing switches in shorter terms. However, in longer term uses addition of MS to ADs may decrease the risk of switches.

Long-acting injectable antipsychotics as maintenance treatments for bipolar disorder-A critical review of the evidence

OBJECTIVES

The maintenance phase of bipolar disorder is arguably the most important. The aim of management during this time is to maintain wellness and prevent future episodes of illness. Medication is often the mainstay of treatment during this phase, but adherence to treatment is a significant problem. In recent years, long-acting injectable (LAI) solutions have been proposed, but these too have limitations. This paper discusses the options that are currently available and critically appraises the effectiveness of this strategy.

METHOD

The authors reviewed the small number of open-label and randomised studies on LAI medications in bipolar disorder and evaluated the efficacy and safety of these medications.

RESULTS

The studies reviewed show benefit of LAIs for the management of bipolar disorder but have several key limitations to the generalisability of findings to routine practice.

CONCLUSIONS

LAIs have an emerging role in the management of bipolar disorder and, although it is not without limitations, this strategy addresses some issues of long-term treatment and medication. Patients with bipolar disorder that are non-adherent or have an unstable illness with a predilection towards mania are possibly better suited to the use of LAIs, though more research is required to fully assess the effectiveness of this approach.

Efficacy and Safety Profile of Risperidone Long-acting Injection in Adolescents in a Real-life Setting

Objective

Risperidone long-acting injection (RLAI) was shown to be an alternative option in adult patients, but there is not available data in child and adolescents about this medication. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficiency profile of RLAI in a group of adolescents.

Methods

Eleven cases with conduct disorder and severe aggressive behaviors were initiated treatment with risperidone oral form. All cases were then shifted to RLAI 25 mg injection in each 15 days due to poor compliance to oral risperidone treatment. Efficiency of treatment included indicators of clinical severity and improvement, which were evaluated by Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) and Improvement (CGI-I). Safety evaluation was performed by using Extrapyramidal Symptoms Rating Scale, and by monitoring body weight. Follow-up visits were done at the treatment initiation, and 8th, 16th, and 24th weeks of first injection.

Results

Study included 9 girls, and 2 boys, with a mean age of 14.9±1.0 years. The CGI-S scores decreased from 6.6±0.5 at the beginning to 2.2±1.1 at the last visit (p<0.001), which is a very significant decrease through better clinical level. The CGI-I scores were also improved significantly from 2.4±0.5 to 1.9±0.5 at 24th week (p=0.001). Safety parameters were also showed favorable results, which there was no significant weight gain (p=0.076), and well-tolerated extrapyramidal adverse effects.

Conclusion

Our results showed that RLAI is an efficient and safe medication option in the treatment of psychiatric disorders and severe behavioral problems in adolescents with low-compliance to oral treatment in our cases.

A Retrospective Study of Long Acting Risperidone Use to Support Treatment Adherence in Youth with Conduct Disorder

Objective

Risperidone has been widely used to control aggression and conduct disorder (CD) in youth; however, treatment compliance is a major problem in CD. Our aim is to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of long-acting risperidone (LAR) in treating nonadherent cases.

Methods

The medical records of children and adolescents who had CD and were nonadherent to conventional drugs and psychosocial interventions (and therefore taking LAR) were reviewed. Informed consent on offlabel use of LAR was obtained from the parents. Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Severity (CGI-S) and CGI-Improvement scales were used and baseline and end points were compared.

Results

The study comprised 14 children and adolescents (5 girls, 9 boys). All had comorbid disorders: substance use disorder (n=8), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (n=6), and major depression (n=2). Mean duration of LAR use was 3.1 months (1.5–8 months). We observed significant improvements in the baseline and endpoint CGI-S scores for CD in all but one patient (Z=−3.198; p<0.001). Only mild adverse effects were observed: weight gain (n=2), sedation (n=1), leg cramps (n=1), and increased appetite with no weight gain (n=1).

Conclusion

LAR is effective and tolerable for patients with CD who can’t be medicated with oral preparations due to non-adherence to treatment. Even short-term LAR use is effective to get compliance. As CD predicts numerous problems in adulthood, appropriate treatment is crucial. To our knowledge, this is the first study on LAR use in youth with CD. The use of LAR deserves careful consideration and further controlled studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Lurasidone in combination with lithium or valproate for the maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder

Lurasidone (DS-RAn) has demonstrated efficacy in the acute treatment of bipolar depression, both as monotherapy, and as combination therapy with lithium or valproate. To evaluate the recurrence prevention efficacy of lurasidone for the maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder, patients received up to 20 weeks of open-label lurasidone (20-80mg/d) combined with lithium or valproate during an initial stabilization phase. A total of 496 patients met stabilization criteria and were randomized to 28 weeks of double-blind treatment with lurasidone (20-80mg/d) or placebo, in combination with lithium or valproate. Based on a Cox proportional hazard model, treatment with lurasidone reduced the probability of recurrence of any mood episode by 29% (primary endpoint), however, the reduction did not achieve statistical significance. Probability of recurrence on lurasidone was significantly lower in patients with an index episode of depression (HR, 0.57; P=0.039), in patients with any index episode who were not rapid-cycling (HR, 0.69; P=0.046), and when recurrence was based on MADRS, YMRS, or CGI-BP-S severity criteria (HR, 0.53; P=0.025; sensitivity analysis). Long-term treatment with lurasidone combined with lithium or valproate was found to be safe and well-tolerated, with minimal effects on weight or metabolic parameters.

Bipolar patients treated with long-acting injectable risperidone in Taiwan: A 1-year mirror-image study using a national claims database

OBJECTIVE

Bipolar disorder (BD) is burdensome for patients and healthcare systems. This study evaluated changes in concomitant medication patterns, healthcare utilization, and costs after the initiation of risperidone long-acting injection (RLAI) treatment among BD patients.

METHOD

287 BD patients receiving regular RLAI treatment for 1 year were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research database during 2007-2012. The bootstrapping procedure was performed to create 1000 samples to generate normally distributed data. The paired t-tests with a correction for multiple comparisons using Bonferroni correction were used to compare the proportion of patients of concomitant psychiatric medication and resource use and costs between pre- and post-RLAI periods. Rapid and non-rapid cycling stratification was performed based on the number of change-in-mood episodes within 1 year prior to the index date.

RESULTS

The mean annual dose of RLAI was 638.41mg, which was equal to an average dose of 24.6mg every 2 weeks. The prevalence of concomitant use of conventional antipsychotics, atypical antipsychotics, lithium, and antidepressants decreased from the pre-RLAI period to the post-RLAI period by 23.75%, 31.91%, 1.29%, and 7.08%, respectively. RLAI use decreased emergency room (ER) visits, hospital admissions, length of hospital stay, and non-medication costs (all P<0.0001). The cost savings with RLAI were attributed to lower hospitalization costs in spite of higher medication costs. Moreover, rapid cycling patients (n=36) demonstrated greater reduction in ER and inpatient services with RLAI than non-rapid cycling patients (n=251).

LIMITATIONS

Of the patients who initiated RLAI, 15% of them who had regular treatment were included. Furthermore, data on measures of symptom severity, side effects, and hyperprolactinemia were not available.

CONCLUSION

BD patients had lower inpatient and ER utilization, and non-medication costs after using RLAI. In addition, RLAI use decreased the number of change-in-mood episodes in rapid cycling patients; which provides additional insights into the treatment of rapid cycling BD patients.

Clinical outcomes of long-acting injectable risperidone in patients with bipolar I disorder: A 1-year retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

We explored the effect of risperidone long-acting injection (LAI) treatment on patients with bipolar I disorder in a real-world setting.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, 469 patients with bipolar I disorder were enrolled and treated with risperidone LAI and different oral antipsychotics and followed for 1 year. Concomitant medications, such as mood stabilizers, antidepressant, anxiolytics, hypnotics, or anticholinergics, were administered. On the basis of risperidone LAI use and treatment compliance, the patients were classified into 4 groups: the first long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAI1) group (compliant patients receiving risperidone LAI treatment) (N=44), the second long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAI2) group (non-compliant patients receiving risperidone LAI treatment) (N=33), the first non-LAI (NLAI1) group (compliant patients receiving oral medications) (N =337), and the second non-LAI (NLAI2) group (non-compliant patients receiving oral medications) (N=55). The rate of re-hospitalization, length of hospital stay, and rate of emergency room visit were assessed.

RESULTS

Compared with the non-LAI groups, the LAI groups had longer mean duration of illness (8.5 years, P=0.0001), higher rate of admission due to mood episodes (P<0.0001), depressive episodes (P<0.0001), or manic episodes (P=0.0002), and higher rate of emergency room visit (P=0.0003) before enrollment. After a 1-year follow-up, re-hospitalization rates were significantly lower in the LAI1 group than that before enrollment for any episodes (P=0.0001), manic episodes (P=0.005), and depressive episodes (P=0.002). The rates of emergency room visit were significantly lower in the LAI1 (P=0.0001), LAI2 (P=0.013), and NLAI1 (P=0.0001) groups compared with those before enrollment.

CONCLUSIONS

Risperidone LAI reduces the clinical severity of bipolar I disorder.

Medication Adherence in Patients with Bipolar Disorder: A Comprehensive Review

Poor medication adherence is a pervasive problem that causes disability and suffering as well as extensive financial costs among individuals with bipolar disorder (BD). Barriers to adherence are numerous and cross multiple levels, including factors related to bipolar pathology and those unique to an individual's circumstances. External factors, including treatment setting, healthcare system, and broader health policies, can also affect medication adherence in people with BD. Fortunately, advances in research have suggested avenues for improving adherence. A comprehensive review of adherence-enhancement interventions for the years 2005-2015 is included. Specific bipolar adherence-enhancement approaches that target knowledge gaps, cognitive patterns, specific barriers, and motivation may be helpful, as may approaches that capitalize on technology or novel drug-delivery systems. However, much work remains to optimally facilitate long-term medication adherence in people with BD. For adherence-enhancement approaches to be widely adapted, they need to be easily accessible, affordable, and practical.

Comparative effectiveness of long-acting injectable risperidone vs. long-acting injectable first-generation antipsychotics in bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to compare the treatment effectiveness between long-acting injectable risperidone and long-acting injectable first-generation antipsychotics among patients with bipolar disorder.

METHOD

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Patients with bipolar disorder aged 15 years or higher, who were newly administered long-acting injectable antipsychotics between June 1, 2004 and December 31, 2011 were included. The clinical outcome indexes were hospitalization for any mood, manic/mixed, or depressive episodes. In addition, the all-cause discontinuation of long-acting injectable antipsychotic treatment was also assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 3916 patients with bipolar disorder were extracted. Compared with risperidone, the use of first-generation antipsychotics was associated with a higher rate of hospitalization for any mood episode and major depressive episode. However, there was no statistically significant difference in treatment discontinuation rate between risperidone and first-generation antipsychotics.

LIMITATIONS

Information for the severity of mood symptoms, social support, life style, neurological and metabolic adverse effect was not available in this database. In addition, we only measured severe mood episodes with hospitalization as our outcome index. It may not be possible to generalize our findings to mild mood episodes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggested that patients treated with long-acting injectable risperidone might be superior to first-generation antipsychotics in the rate of psychiatric hospitalization.

What is the evidence for the use of second-generation antipsychotic long-acting injectables as maintenance treatment in bipolar disorder?

BACKGROUND

In recent years, the use of second-generation antipsychotics long-acting injectable in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder has sparked interest in improving adherence and reducing the risk of relapse.

AIMS

This report aims to review the available evidence concerning the use of second-generation antipsychotics depot in bipolar disorder and specify the typology of patients that could be eligible for this formulation.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature was conducted using Pubmed and EMBASE.

RESULTS

Data available for the clinician assessing the interests of second-generation antipsychotics depot in long-term treatment of bipolar disorder are limited to risperidone. It seems particularly relevant for bipolar patients with poor adherence or early in the course of illness and can be used as monotherapy with manic polarity. It should always be considered for use in combination with at least one other mood stabilizer in patients with depressive polarity. As for other medications, the benefit/risk ratio for a long-acting should be evaluated individually.

CONCLUSIONS

If using a depot formulation could be considered for all patients in order to approach a perfect compliance, patients with certain clinical profiles could be an argument for prioritizing the use of long-acting injectable as maintenance treatment. Additional studies are needed with other second-generation antipsychotics depot in bipolar patients to generalize their use in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder but the future golden standard of studies with long-acting formulations remains to be defined.

Six-month open-label follow-up of risperidone long-acting injection use in pediatric bipolar disorder

BACKGROUND

Recent studies suggest that risperidone long-acting injection (RLAI) may be considered for controlling mood episodes in bipolar disorder patients who have relapsed due to medication nonadherence or failure to respond to standard therapies. Currently, no study has reported the usefulness of RLAI in youths with bipolar disorder. The aim of this study was to evaluate short-term effects of RLAI in the naturalistic treatment of early-onset bipolar disorder and its role in symptomatic remission and adherence to treatment.

METHOD

Nineteen early-onset bipolar disorder outpatients receiving RLAI were observed in a 6-month naturalistic study at the outpatient clinic of the Child and Adolescent Affective Disorders Program at the Institute of Psychiatry of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. All patients met DSM-IV criteria for bipolar disorder. Clinical response to RLAI was evaluated using the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) and Clinical Global Impressions scale (CGI) across 3 time periods: index time (T0), 8 weeks after (T1), and 24 weeks after (T2). These subjects were recruited from May 2008 to December 2009.

RESULTS

Patients receiving RLAI presented considerable improvement in global functioning (CGAS: T0 = 20.6; T1 = 42.9; and T2 = 49.2) and clinical severity (CGI: T0 = 5.9; T1 = 3.9; and T2 = 3.4). Global CGI mean scores of clinical improvement were 2.2 at T1 and 2.4 at T2. There were no significant changes in laboratory measurements and weight throughout follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

RLAI was shown to be an alternative treatment for youths with bipolar disorder failing to respond to prior medication trials or with adherence problems. Further blind, randomized controlled studies are necessary to confirm these initial findings.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Sistema Nacional de Informaçōes Sobre Ética em Pesquisa Envolvendo Seres Humanos-Commisão Nacional de Ética em Pesquisa identifier: CAAE 0709.0.015.000-06.

Impact of psychotropic drugs on suicide and suicidal behaviors

OBJECTIVE

To examine the impact of psychotropic drugs on suicide and suicidal behaviors in bipolar disorders.

METHODS

A Medline search of articles published from January 1960 to January 2013 was performed using relevant keywords to identify studies examining the relationship of psychotropic drugs to suicidal behaviors. The publications were further reviewed for relevant references and information. Additionally, the US Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation Research website was searched.

RESULTS

The available studies used differing methodologies, making interpretation of the findings difficult. Studies suggest that antidepressants may increase suicidal risk in bipolar disorder, this possibly being related to the induction of broadly defined mixed states. There is no evidence that antiepileptic drugs as a class increase suicidal risk in patients with bipolar disorder. Only lithium provides convincing data that it reduces the risk of suicide over the long term. There is little known regarding the effects of antipsychotics, as well as anti-anxiety and hypnotic drugs, on suicidal behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

The available evidence for the impact of psychotropics on suicidal risk in patients with bipolar disorder is largely methodologically flawed and, except for a few instances, clinically not useful at this point. Adequately powered, prospective randomized controlled studies are needed to assess the impact of each class of psychotropic and each psychotropic as well as common combination therapies. Until such studies have been carried out, clinicians are urged to exercise caution in using these drugs and rely on the traditional means of carefully assessing and monitoring patients with bipolar disorder who are at high risk for suicide.

Pharmacological management of bipolar depression: acute treatment, maintenance, and prophylaxis

Although the most distinctive clinical feature of bipolar disorder is the pathologically elevated mood, it does not usually constitute the prevalent mood state of bipolar illness. The majority of patients with bipolar disorder spend much more time in depressive episodes, including subsyndromal depressive symptoms, and bipolar depression accounts for the largest part of the morbidity and mortality of the illness. The pharmacological treatment of bipolar depression mostly consists of combinations of at least two drugs, including mood stabilizers (lithium and anticonvulsants), atypical antipsychotics, and antidepressants. Antidepressants are the most frequently prescribed drugs, but recommendations from evidence-based guidelines are not conclusive and do not overtly support their use. Among antidepressants, best evidence exists for fluoxetine, but in combination with olanzapine. Although some guidelines recommend the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or bupropion in combination with antimanic agents as first-choice treatment, others do not, based on the available evidence. Among anticonvulsants, the use of lamotrigine is overall recommended as a first-line choice, but acute monotherapy studies have failed. Valproate is generally mentioned as a second-line treatment. Lithium monotherapy is also suggested by most guidelines as a first-line treatment, but its efficacy in acute use is not totally clear. Amongst atypical antipsychotics, quetiapine, in monotherapy or as adjunctive treatment, is recommended by most guidelines as a first-line choice. Olanzapine monotherapy is also suggested by some guidelines and is approved in Japan. Armodafinil, pramipexole, ketamine, and lurasidone are recent proposals. Long-term treatment in bipolar disorder is strongly recommended, but guidelines do not recommend the use of antidepressants as a maintenance treatment. Lithium, lamotrigine, valproate, olanzapine, quetiapine, and aripiprazole are the recommended first-line maintenance options.

The World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) guidelines for the biological treatment of bipolar disorders: update 2012 on the long-term treatment of bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVES

These guidelines are based on a first edition that was published in 2004, and have been edited and updated with the available scientific evidence up to October 2012. Their purpose is to supply a systematic overview of all scientific evidence pertaining to the long-term treatment of bipolar disorder in adults.

METHODS

Material used for these guidelines are based on a systematic literature search using various data bases. Their scientific rigor was categorised into six levels of evidence (A-F) and different grades of recommendation to ensure practicability were assigned.

RESULTS

Maintenance trial designs are complex and changed fundamentally over time; thus, it is not possible to give an overall recommendation for long-term treatment. Different scenarios have to be examined separately: Prevention of mania, depression, or an episode of any polarity, both in acute responders and in patients treated de novo. Treatment might differ in Bipolar II patients or Rapid cyclers, as well as in special subpopulations. We identified several medications preventive against new manic episodes, whereas the current state of research into the prevention of new depressive episodes is less satisfactory. Lithium continues to be the substance with the broadest base of evidence across treatment scenarios.

CONCLUSIONS

Although major advances have been made since the first edition of this guideline in 2004, there are still areas of uncertainty, especially the prevention of depressive episodes and optimal long-term treatment of Bipolar II patients.

Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) and International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) collaborative update of CANMAT guidelines for the management of patients with bipolar disorder: update 2013

The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments published guidelines for the management of bipolar disorder in 2005, with updates in 2007 and 2009. This third update, in conjunction with the International Society for Bipolar Disorders, reviews new evidence and is designed to be used in conjunction with the previous publications.The recommendations for the management of acute mania remain largely unchanged. Lithium, valproate, and several atypical antipsychotic agents continue to be first-line treatments for acute mania. Monotherapy with asenapine, paliperidone extended release (ER), and divalproex ER, as well as adjunctive asenapine, have been added as first-line options.For the management of bipolar depression, lithium, lamotrigine, and quetiapine monotherapy, as well as olanzapine plus selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), and lithium or divalproex plus SSRI/bupropion remain first-line options. Lurasidone monotherapy and the combination of lurasidone or lamotrigine plus lithium or divalproex have been added as a second-line options. Ziprasidone alone or as adjunctive therapy, and adjunctive levetiracetam have been added as not-recommended options for the treatment of bipolar depression. Lithium, lamotrigine, valproate, olanzapine, quetiapine, aripiprazole, risperidone long-acting injection, and adjunctive ziprasidone continue to be first-line options for maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. Asenapine alone or as adjunctive therapy have been added as third-line options.

New approaches in the treatment of bipolar depression

Patients with bipolar disorder more frequently suffer from depression than from mania. Indeed depressive symptomatology represents the majority of the illness burden experienced by bipolar patients and is also associated with elevated suicide risk. The treatment of bipolar depression differs from that of recurrent major depression in that the efficacy of conventional antidepressant drugs is not well-established. Some evidence-based treatments for bipolar depression are available and include the anticonvulsant drug, lamotrigine, and the atypical antipsychotic, quetiapine. Lithium also has some benefits in the prevention of depression and its use is associated with a significant reduction in suicidal behaviour. Several other treatments are in clinical development including dopamine agonists, glutamatergic modulating drugs and antioxidants. The role of these interventions in management is uncertain. The clinical uncertainties in the pharmacological treatment of bipolar depression mean that treatment has to be individualised and empirical; there is also an important role for psychological therapies, which again need to be tailored to suit the needs of the individual patient and their family.

Subtypes of antipsychotics and suicidal behavior in bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVE

Antipsychotics are commonly used in bipolar disorder, with newer (SGA) agents increasingly replacing FGA antipsychotics, particularly in bipolar depression. There are few data on differences between FGA and SGA antipsychotics in terms of their relationship to suicidal behavior in bipolar disorder.

METHOD

This was a retrospective chart review of 161 bipolar veterans treated naturalistically with antipsychotics at a university-affiliated VA hospital and clinics for up to 8 years. Charts were reviewed to determine monthly antipsychotic use and occurrence of suicidal behavior: completed suicide, attempted suicide or hospitalization to prevent suicide. Suicidal behavior events were compared across patients during treatment with individual antipsychotics and FGAs or SGAs as a class.

RESULTS

Non-lethal suicide events were more common during FGA than SGA monotherapy (9 events/110 months of exposure vs. 6 events/381 months of exposure; χ(2)=9.65, p=0.002). Suicide event rates did not differ between FGAs and SGAs when used in conjunction with mood stabilizers. Event rates were lower with lithium than anticonvulsants when used in conjunction with antipsychotics. No differences were found between olanzapine, risperidone and quetiapine.

LIMITATIONS

The retrospective chart review methodology may have led to confounding by indication and diagnostic inaccuracy. No completed suicides occurred. Study participants were primarily male veterans. Results may not be generalizable to SGAs marketed since 2003.

CONCLUSIONS

FGA antipsychotic monotherapy may be associated with higher suicidal behavior risk than SGA antipsychotic monotherapy. Antipsychotics used in conjunction with mood stabilizers, particularly lithium, are associated with lower rates, independent of antipsychotic subtype.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess prevention of mood episodes with risperidone long-acting injectable in patients with bipolar I disorder

The efficacy and safety of risperidone long-acting injectable (LAI) for preventing recurrence of mood episodes in patients with bipolar I disorder was evaluated in a randomized, placebo-controlled study. After a 12-week open-label period with risperidone LAI (n=560), patients who did not experience a recurrence entered an 18-month randomized, double-blind period with risperidone LAI (n=132) or placebo (n=135); a third treatment arm (n=131) was randomized to oral olanzapine (10 mg/day) for reference and exploratory comparisons. The primary efficacy endpoint was time to recurrence of any mood episode for risperidone LAI versus placebo in the double-blind period (Kaplan-Meier analysis). Additional efficacy endpoints included Young Mania Rating Scale, Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and Clinical Global Impression. During the double-blind period, dosing was fixed at patients' final open-label dose (25 mg, 66% of patients; 37.5 mg, 31%; 50 mg, 4%). The primary outcome demonstrated a median time to mood episode recurrence of 198 day in the placebo arm, whereas the median was not reached in the risperidone LAI arm (p=0.057). Time to recurrence of any mood episode was significantly longer with risperidone LAI versus placebo (log-rank test stratified by region only, p=0.031); the difference was significant for time to recurrence of elevated mood episodes (p=0.005) but not depressive episodes (p=0.655). Significant improvement of manic symptoms and global condition versus placebo were observed for risperidone LAI, with no evidence of worsening of depression. In conclusion, risperidone LAI significantly delayed time to recurrence of elevated mood episodes, with a safety profile consistent with previous studies.

Long-acting injectable antipsychotics for the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder

Depot antipsychotics have been used as a strategy to reduce non-adherence to medications in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (BD). This article reviews the literature on the efficacy and safety of first- and second-generation depot antipsychotics (FGDA and SGDA, respectively) for the maintenance treatment of BD. Although FGDA have been studied in BD, they have not been approved for use in this disease. Among the SGDA, only depot risperidone has been studied and approved for the maintenance treatment of BD. We found eight studies on FGDA (three on flupenthixol, two on depot haloperidol, one on fluphenazine and flupenthixol, two on a mix of diverse antipsychotics) and ten studies on SGDA (all on depot risperidone). Differences in efficacy and safety were found between the two classes of depot antipsychotics. Although FGDA may be effective in reducing manic relapses, they possibly increase the risk of worsening depression. Depot risperidone is effective as a maintenance treatment in BD with effect noted predominantly for preventing mania. However, no worsening in depression was observed. Depot risperidone also is better tolerated than FGDA, mainly in relation to extrapyramidal symptoms. Studies with the new depot antipsychotics, olanzapine pamoate and paliperidone palmitate, are needed in BD patients. Further, there is currently little information on the metabolic changes (apart from bodyweight gain) that may occur with the use of depot risperidone in patients with bipolar disorder, and this issue needs further investigation.

Therapeutic options in treatment-resistant depression

The phenomenon of treatment-resistant depression (TRD), described as the occurrence of an inadequate response after an adequate treatment with antidepressant agents (in terms of dose, duration, and adherence), is very common in clinical practice. It has been broadly defined in the context of unipolar major depression, but alternative definitions for bipolar depression have also been suggested. In both cases, there is a remarkable lack of consensus amongst professionals concerning its operative definition. A relatively wide variety of treatment options for unipolar TRD are available, whilst the evidence is very scanty for bipolar TRD. TRD is associated to poor clinical, functional, and social outcomes. Several novel therapeutic options are currently being investigated as promising alternatives, targeting the neurotransmitter system outside of the standard monoamine hypothesis. Augmentation or combination with lithium or atypical antipsychotics appears as a valid option for both conditions, and the same occurs with electroconvulsive therapy. Other non-pharmacological strategies such as deep brain stimulation may be promising alternatives for the future. The use of cognitive behaviour therapy is recommended for unipolar TRD, but there is no evidence supporting its use in bipolar TRD.

Adjunctive long-acting risperidone in patients with bipolar disorder who relapse frequently and have active mood symptoms

BACKGROUND

The objective of this exploratory analysis was to characterize efficacy and onset of action of a 3-month treatment period with risperidone long-acting injection (RLAI), adjunctive to an individual's treatment regimen, in subjects with symptomatic bipolar disorder who relapsed frequently and had significant symptoms of mania and/or depression.

METHODS

Subjects with bipolar disorder with ≥4 mood episodes in the past 12 months entered the open-label stabilization phase preceding a placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Subjects with significant depressive or manic/mixed symptoms at baseline were analyzed. Significant depressive symptoms were defined as Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) ≥16 and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) < 16; manic/mixed symptoms were YMRS ≥16 with any MADRS score. Subjects received open-label RLAI (25-50 mg every 2 weeks) for 16 weeks, adjunctive to a subject's individualized treatment for bipolar disorder (mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and/or anxiolytics). Clinical status was evaluated with the Clinical Global Impressions of Bipolar Disorder-Severity (CGI-BP-S) scale and changes on the MADRS and YMRS scales. Within-group changes were evaluated using paired t tests; categorical differences were assessed using Fisher exact test. No adjustment was made for multiplicity.

RESULTS

162 subjects who relapsed frequently met criteria for significant mood symptoms at open-label baseline; 59/162 (36.4%) had depressive symptoms, 103/162 (63.6%) had manic/mixed symptoms. Most subjects (89.5%) were receiving ≥1 medication for bipolar disorder before enrollment. Significant improvements were observed for the total population on the CGI-BP-S, MADRS, and YMRS scales (p < .001 vs. baseline, all variables). Eighty-two (53.3%) subjects achieved remission at the week 16 LOCF end point. The subpopulation with depressive symptoms at open-label baseline experienced significant improvement on the CGI-BP-S and MADRS scales (p < .001 vs. baseline, all variables). Subjects with manic/mixed symptoms at baseline had significant improvements on the CGI-BP-S and YMRS scales (p < .001 vs. baseline, all variables). No unexpected tolerability findings were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Exploratory analysis of changes in overall clinical status and depression/mania symptoms in subjects with symptomatic bipolar disorder who relapse frequently showed improvements in each of these areas after treatment with RLAI, adjunctive to a subject's individualized treatment. Prospective controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings.

What we know and what we don't know about the treatment of schizoaffective disorder

Schizoaffective disorder (SAD) is a chronic, severe and disabling illness consisting on the concurrent presentation of symptoms of schizophrenia and affective disorders (depression and/or mania). Evidence for the treatment of SAD mostly derives from studies based on mixed samples (i.e. schizophrenic and schizoaffective patients) or on extrapolations from studies on schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The objective of the present review is to systematically consider and summarize the best evidence-based approaches to the treatment of SAD and extensively point out the gap between treatment research and clinical practice of this disorder. The complex problem of controlling the pleomorphic presentation of SAD's syndromic construct is reflected in the lack of evidence on key topics, including: diagnostic consistency, pharmacological approaches (mood stabilizers, antidepressants, both in acute and maintenance treatment as well as their possible combination), and the adjunctive role of psychosocial and biophysical interventions. Finally, treatment strategies for SAD, both unipolar and bipolar type, are proposed.

Risperidone long-acting injectable (Risperdal Consta®) for maintenance treatment in patients with bipolar disorder

Poor adherence to pharmacotherapy during maintenance-phase treatment of bipolar disorder is a common occurrence, exposing patients to a high risk of illness relapses, rehospitalization and other negative outcomes. In view of this, there has been a reawakening of interest in the potential of long-acting injectable antipsychotic medications to improve treatment outcome during bipolar maintenance therapy. Indeed, long-acting injectable medications have practical advantages of assuring delivery of medication at a prescribed dose, and perhaps also making it easier to monitor adherence, at least to the long-acting drug. However, there are important limitations to the long-term use of depot typical neuroleptics in patients with bipolar disorder, including risk of extrapyramidal side effects and tardive dyskinesia, which may exceed that of patients with schizophrenia, and the potential for treatment-emergent exacerbation of depressive symptoms. Long-acting injectable risperidone (RLAI) has recently been approved for maintenance treatment in patients with bipolar I disorder. Evidence supporting the use of RLAI for this indication consists of several nonrandomized, open-label studies; one randomized, open-label trial; and two adequately powered randomized, double-blind trials. In general, these studies have shown RLAI to be effective for the prevention of relapse or hospitalization during bipolar maintenance treatment. In the double-blind studies, RLAI was associated with reduced relapse rates, increased time to relapse and greater control of clinical symptoms during maintenance treatment following initial stabilization, compared with oral medication treatment or placebo injection. RLAI appeared to be more effective for preventing manic/mixed episodes than depressive episodes. RLAI showed good tolerability across studies; however, dose-related extrapyramidal effects, sedation, weight gain and prolactin elevation may occur during long-term treatment. Responder-enriched designs and exclusion of important clinical subgroups in the double-blind trials may limit translation of these results to routine care settings.

Asenapine for long-term treatment of bipolar disorder: a double-blind 40-week extension study

BACKGROUND

Asenapine is approved in the United States for acute treatment of manic or mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder with or without psychotic features. We report the results of long-term treatment with asenapine in patients with bipolar I disorder.

METHODS

Patients completing either of two 3-week efficacy trials and a subsequent 9-week double-blind extension were eligible for this 40-week double-blind extension. Patients in the 3-week trials were randomized to flexible-dose asenapine (5 or 10mg BID), placebo, or olanzapine (5-20mg QD; included for assay sensitivity only). Patients entering the extension phase maintained their preestablished treatment; those originally randomized to placebo received flexible-dose asenapine (placebo/asenapine). Safety and tolerability endpoints included adverse events (AEs), extrapyramidal symptoms, laboratory values, and anthropometric measures. Efficacy, a secondary assessment, was measured as change in Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) total score from 3-week trial baseline to week 52 with asenapine or olanzapine; the placebo/asenapine group was assessed for safety only.

RESULTS

Incidence of treatment-emergent AEs was 71.9%, 86.1%, and 79.4% with placebo/asenapine, asenapine, and olanzapine, respectively. The most frequent treatment-emergent AEs were headache and somnolence with placebo/asenapine; insomnia, sedation, and depression with asenapine; and weight gain, somnolence, and sedation with olanzapine. Among observed cases, mean ± SD changes in YMRS total score at week 52 were -28.6 ± 8.1 and -28.2 ± 6.8 for asenapine and olanzapine, respectively.

LIMITATIONS

The study did not have a long-term placebo group.

CONCLUSIONS

In this 52-week extension in patients with bipolar mania, asenapine was well tolerated and long-term maintenance of efficacy was supported.

Emerging treatments in the management of bipolar disorder - focus on risperidone long acting injection

Bipolar disorder is a life-long psychiatric illness characterized by a high frequency of relapses and substantial societal costs. Almost half of the patients are prescribed second generation antipsychotics for treatment of manic states, or as the maintenance therapy. Risperidone long acting injection (RLAI) as a monotherapy or as adjunctive therapy to lithium or valproate for the maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder was approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in United States in May 2009. In this review we will consider the aspects of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, metabolism, safety and tolerability, and clinical trials focusing on the efficacy of RLAI in bipolar disorder. The patients' perspective and attitudes to long-acting injections will also be discussed.

Patient perspectives on use of long-acting antipsychotics in bipolar disorder: focus on risperidone injection

In the last few years, oral second-generation antipsychotics have demonstrated mood-stabilizing properties and are now widely used in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, treatment of this chronic and complex illness is hampered with poor adherence on the part of patients. Long-acting injectable formulations of second-generation antipsychotics could combine the effect of oral second-generation antipsychotics in patients with bipolar disorder and the benefits of depot formulation with the assurance of steady medication delivery and thereby improve adherence. In this context, the efficacy and tolerance of risperidone long-acting injection (RLAI) for maintenance treatment in patients with bipolar disorder is assessed. The relevant studies found RLAI to be effective in preventive treatment of manic but not depressive recurrences in bipolar patients, with good tolerance. RLAI appeared to be particularly suitable for patients with known poor adherence to treatment or severe bipolar disorder (such as patients who relapse frequently). Lastly, if RLAI, unlike the first-generation antipsychotics, does not induce depressive symptoms, the different studies do not enable us to consider its use in monotherapy in the preventive treatment of patients with depressive polarity. Long-acting second-generation antipsychotics in bipolar patients are therefore associated with long-term benefits, but their use in clinical practice needs to be improved.

Risperidone long-acting injection as monotherapy and adjunctive therapy in the maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD

It is very rare for patients with bipolar disorder to have a single episode of mania or depression over a lifetime and the vast majority of these individuals need long-term prophylactic/maintenance treatment. However, treatment nonadherence is a major issue for close to half of subjects with bipolar disorder who are prescribed medications. Risperidone long-acting injection (LAI) has proven efficacious for the maintenance phase of bipolar disorder and may mitigate the problem of nonadherence in the substantial group of patients for whom this is a significant concern.

AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW

This paper comprises a review and commentary regarding the use of risperidone LAI in bipolar disorder.

WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN

The reader will gain an understanding regarding the risks and benefits of risperidone LAI in bipolar disorder. We review the available evidence and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of published studies, providing an opinion about the clinical usefulness of risperidone LAI as well as suggestions for future research.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

The use of risperidone LAI, through improved adherence, has the potential to ameliorate the course of bipolar disorder.

Rate of bipolar affective disorder registered according to total pattern of morbidity at psychiatry clinic in sarajevo from 2006-2008

INTRODUCTION

Affective disorders were known even in ancient times. Today is the official name of the ICD-10 bipolar affective disorder (F31) and represent sub category of mood disorders (affective disorders) with code F30-F39.

GOAL

The aim of this study was to examine and display the frequency of bipolar disorders in the total number of patients at the Psychiatric Clinic in the period 2006-2008, in order to examine the demographic profile of patients and to determine the length of hospitalization. One of the goals is also to show the number of patients with bipolar disorder compared to all other patients in the group F30-39, with respect to the research period.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

During the research is used a retrospective-prospective study of clinical-epidemiological character. The study included all 3713 patients with different diagnoses, which were hospitalized at the Psychiatric Clinic of the Clinical Center in Sarajevo in the period from January 1st 2006 to December 31st 2008. From the total number of 3713 respondents selected are those with bipolar affective disorder, 63 (1.7%). The diagnosis was set according to ICD-10 Classification (F30-39).

RESULTS

Of the total number of patients 3713, there were 63 (1.7%) subjects with BD. From this number in 2006 was 21 (1.6%); in 2007-20 (1.7%), and in 2008-22 (1.7%) Patients with F31.1 was present in 2006 year as 5 (23.9%) cases and in 2007 the dominant group consists of respondents with F31.2-8 (40%), while in 2008 patients with F31.2 had 7 cases (31, 8%). The average duration of hospitalization in 2006 amounted to 43.7 days in 2007 to 40.9 and in 2008 to 37 days.

CONCLUSION

Bipolar disorder is often incorrectly diagnosed as is also possible in this study given the small percentage of the disorder in relation to the total number of patients. Bipolar disorder has a direct impact on the quality of life of patients. Because of these facts, timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment are very important, and as a result, their suicide prevention.

Contributing factors to weight gain during long-term treatment with second-generation antipsychotics. A systematic appraisal and clinical implications

The increased rates of both overweight and obesity reported in severely mentally-ill patients are prevalently due to the use of second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs). Hence, the main purpose of this article is to analyze systematically potential patient- and drug-related factors which may increase the risk of weight gain during long-term treatment with such medications. Literature information published in English since 1966 and last updated on 17 January 2009 was identified through different databases and using various combinations of search terms. Searches provided 242 articles, whereas 6 additional references were identified manually. Peer-reviewed articles focusing on the risk of weight gain during SGA-chronic treatment (at least 52 weeks, N = 81) were acquired. Data were extracted from the 39 peer-reviewed articles which investigated factors potentially associated with an increased risk of this event. Evidence-based information suggests that a number of factors, either patient- (age, baseline BMI/bodyweight, recent onset of psychotic episodes, need of concomitant psychotropic medications) or drug-specific (relative receptorial affinity, timing of weight changes plateau, daily dose, iatrogenic concomitant changes in biochemical metabolic parameters) may contribute to increase either rates and/or magnitude of this effect during long-term treatments with specific SGAs. All contributors and their relationship with specific drugs should be taken into consideration when designing a long-term therapy with SGAs. Among the best studied agents (clozapine, olanzapine, and risperidone) of this class, the latter seems to be the most susceptible drug to the amplifying effects of both patient- and drug-related factors on the risk of inducing weight changes during chronic treatments.

Long-acting risperidone: a review of its role in the treatment of bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a multidimensional illness typified by fluctuating periods of depression and mania, cognitive dysfunction, abnormal circadian rhythms, and multiple comorbid psychiatric and general medical conditions. Indefinite pharmacological treatment is often required, yet the modest effects of available treatments and frequent difficulties with tolerability and adherence present complex challenges to patients. Long-acting injectable medications offer a therapeutic alternative to oral mood stabilizers and may help facilitate long-term treatment adherence. This article will provide a succinct review of the latest data on the use of long-acting injectable risperidone (LAR) during the maintenance-phase treatment of bipolar disorder. The specific role of LAR in comparison to other atypical antipsychotics, and the limitations of available studies will be discussed from the perspectives of efficacy, tolerability, and sequential positioning in treatment guidelines.

Evidence-based guidelines for treating bipolar disorder: revised second edition--recommendations from the British Association for Psychopharmacology

The British Association for Psychopharmacology guidelines specify the scope and target of treatment for bipolar disorder. The second version, like the first, is based explicitly on the available evidence and presented, like previous Clinical Practice guidelines, as recommendations to aid clinical decision making for practitioners: they may also serve as a source of information for patients and carers. The recommendations are presented together with a more detailed but selective qualitative review of the available evidence. A consensus meeting, involving experts in bipolar disorder and its treatment, reviewed key areas and considered the strength of evidence and clinical implications. The guidelines were drawn up after extensive feedback from participants and interested parties. The strength of supporting evidence was rated. The guidelines cover the diagnosis of bipolar disorder, clinical management, and strategies for the use of medicines in treatment of episodes, relapse prevention and stopping treatment.