93 However, secondary analyses indicated that valproate was superior to placebo in severely ill patients and was effective in preventing new depressive episodes. In randomized studies with active comparators, valproate was equivalent, to lithium94,95 and olanzapine96 in the prevention of bipolar recurrence. Valproate has controversially been reported to induce polycystic ovary syndrome. Carbamazepine Carbamazepine is a widely used in patients who have not responded to treatment with lithium, especially in Europe and Japan. It has been shown to be superior to placebo in a Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical small

trial,97 and was equal to lithium in meta-analysis.98 However, the studies were too heterogeneous to allow conclusive results. In a 2.5-year randomized study of lithium Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical and carbamazepine, lithium was associated with a lower overall rate of relapse (28% vs 47%) and fewer adverse events.99 However, carbamazepine appeared more effective than lithium in patients with atypical features such as mixed states and delusions,100 suggesting it has a broader spectrum of activity. A study of treatment-naive

bipolar patients showed that lithium was slightly more effective than carbamazepine in preventing relapses over a 2-year period, although carbamazepine was superior during the Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical first 6 months.101 Other anticonvulsants The evidence supporting lamotrigine prophylaxis Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical is strong, particularly where preventing depressive episodes is a major objective, but clearly not as much as far as mania is concerned. Lamotrigine as maintenance therapy has been studied in two large randomized, controlled studies in bipolar patients with a recent depressive89 or manic/hypomanic episode.90 These studies showed that. lamotrigine was superior to placebo in preventing depressive episodes and Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in delaying the onset of any mood episode. Furthermore, in a pooled analysis, lamotrigine was significantly better than placebo in preventing manic, hypomanic, or mixed episodes.102 Limited controlled

data are available on the long-term outcome of bipolar patients treated with oxcarbazepine.41 -103 A small study suggested that phenytoin might have some moodstabilizing properties,104 and another pilot, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, suggested that gabapentin might have some prophylactic effects when used in conjunction with lithium mafosfamide in euthymic patients with a highly recurring course.105 Antipsychotics Long-term treatment with low doses of antipsychotics is not a rare practice in clinical selleck screening library settings when treating bipolar patients.106 As the first-generation antipsychotics are not effective in preventing depressive phases and could be involved in depressive relapses,107 they do not seem an interesting option for maintenance. However, there is growing evidence of second-generation antipsychotics having mood-stabilizing properties.