title: The comparative efficacy of carbamazepine low and high serum level and lithium carbonate in the prophylaxis of affective disorders.
abstract: The prophylactic efficacy of carbamazepine slow release (CBZ) at ke different blood levels and lithium carbonate slow release (LI) was compared in a retrospective/prospective, randomized, 2-year open trial. 84 patients with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of recurrent affective disorder who had no prophylactic medication in the 2 years preceding the trial (no LI nonresponders), were randomly allocated to three treatment groups: CBZ low (15-25 mumol/l), CBZ high (28-40 mumol/l) and LI (0.6-0.8 mumol/l). Fifty-eight patients completed the full observation period of 2 years, 26 patients dropped out. There were no statistically significant differences in the efficacy of the prophylactic treatment for bipolar patients. For the unipolar patients, the group with a low CBZ serum level showed no reduction in the duration of episodes. The two other treatment groups seem to be equal in attenuation of a unipolar course of an affective disorder.
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Vienna, Department of Psychiatry, Austria.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simhandl
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Denk
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016651:Lithium Carbonate / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D002220:Carbamazepine