OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the outcome for the first 148 patients referred to a lithium clinic. METHOD: Two-year follow-up data from treatment charts are reported for all patients entering a lithium clinic in the study period. RESULTS: Lithium was given as the only mood stabilizer in 132 (89.2%) of the cases. Thirty-two (21.6%) patients were readmitted with a new affective disorder episode. Twenty-nine (19.6%) patients discontinued treatment prematurely. Variables predicting the recurrence of new affective disorder episodes as well as premature discontinuation of treatment were identified. CONCLUSION: The majority of bipolar patients received lithium for prophylaxis against recurrent affective disorder episodes. The outcome was moderate but comparable to the 30-40% improvement usually reported in follow-up studies of bipolar patients given long-term prophylactic treatment with lithium. Better long-term treatment results for bipolar patients depend on both the development of more effective mood stabilizing drugs or drug combinations and the improvement of patients' adherence to treatment.
OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the outcome for the first 148 patients referred to a lithium clinic. METHOD: Two-year follow-up data from treatment charts are reported for all patients entering a lithium clinic in the study period. RESULTS:Lithium was given as the only mood stabilizer in 132 (89.2%) of the cases. Thirty-two (21.6%) patients were readmitted with a new affective disorder episode. Twenty-nine (19.6%) patients discontinued treatment prematurely. Variables predicting the recurrence of new affective disorder episodes as well as premature discontinuation of treatment were identified. CONCLUSION: The majority of bipolarpatients received lithium for prophylaxis against recurrent affective disorder episodes. The outcome was moderate but comparable to the 30-40% improvement usually reported in follow-up studies of bipolarpatients given long-term prophylactic treatment with lithium. Better long-term treatment results for bipolarpatients depend on both the development of more effective mood stabilizing drugs or drug combinations and the improvement of patients' adherence to treatment.
Authors: Michael J McCarthy; Heather Wei; Caroline M Nievergelt; Andrea Stautland; Adam X Maihofer; David K Welsh; Paul Shilling; Martin Alda; Ney Alliey-Rodriguez; Amit Anand; Ole A Andreasson; Yokesh Balaraman; Wade H Berrettini; Holli Bertram; Kristen J Brennand; Joseph R Calabrese; Cynthia V Calkin; Ana Claasen; Clara Conroy; William H Coryell; David W Craig; Nicole D'Arcangelo; Anna Demodena; Srdjan Djurovic; Scott Feeder; Carrie Fisher; Nicole Frazier; Mark A Frye; Fred H Gage; Keming Gao; Julie Garnham; Elliot S Gershon; Kara Glazer; Fernando Goes; Toyomi Goto; Gloria Harrington; Petter Jakobsen; Masoud Kamali; Elizabeth Karberg; Marisa Kelly; Susan G Leckband; Falk Lohoff; Melvin G McInnis; Francis Mondimore; Gunnar Morken; John I Nurnberger; Sarah Obral; Ketil J Oedegaard; Abigail Ortiz; Megan Ritchey; Kelly Ryan; Martha Schinagle; Helle Schoeyen; Candice Schwebel; Martha Shaw; Tatyana Shekhtman; Claire Slaney; Emma Stapp; Szabolcs Szelinger; Bruce Tarwater; Peter P Zandi; John R Kelsoe Journal: Neuropsychopharmacology Date: 2018-11-16 Impact factor: 7.853
Authors: Martha Sajatovic; Curtis Tatsuoka; Kristin A Cassidy; Peter J Klein; Edna Fuentes-Casiano; Jamie Cage; Michelle E Aebi; Luis F Ramirez; Carol Blixen; Adam T Perzynski; Mark S Bauer; Steven A Safren; Jennifer B Levin Journal: J Clin Psychiatry Date: 2018-09-25 Impact factor: 4.384