Lamotrigine as effective treatment in young people with bipolar affective disorder

Title
Lamotrigine as effective treatment in young people with bipolar affective disorder
Publication Date
2004
Author(s)
Maxwell, P
Hanstock, Tanya
Nunn, KP
Type of document
Conference Publication
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Place of publication
United States of America
DOI
10.1111/j.1398-5647.2004.079_5.x
UNE publication id
une:9757
Abstract
Mood disorders in young people have increasingly been recognized as a neglected definition in young people have hindered case findings and the development of treatment evaluation strategies. In addition, there is evidence that younger patients suffer from mixed disorders, rapid cycling and less distinct phenomenology. Each of these characteristics has been associated with a lack of response to traditional mood stabilisers, like lithium. The use of valproate as the first line has now been recommended by a number of authors, although the evidence for its efficacy in this age group is limited. More recently, the possibility of using other anticonvulsants, such as lamotrigine, has emerged within the adult literature in a clinical case sample and based on acute inpatient treatment. There is an absence of research on the efficacy of lamotrigine in children with bipolar affective disorder. We reviewed, retrospectively, the use of lamotrigine, where valproate on its own or in addition to lithium, had been insufficient to stabilize mood. The study was uncontrolled, retrospective and case based. However, all the children treated had extreme pathology and the results were encouraging. This study raises the possibility of a formal trial of lamotrigine in a randomized controlled methodology against the best current treatment available. Area of research and therapeutic intervention.
Link
Citation
Bipolar Disorders, 6(Supplement s1), p. 35-36
ISSN
1399-5618
1398-5647
Start page
35
End page
36

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