Clinical pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of antimanic and mood-stabilizing medications.
BACKGROUND
A number of medications are now available or are in development as antimanic and/or mood-stabilizing agents. We reviewed the clinical pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of these agents to provide a summary of these properties relevant to clinical practice.


METHODS
We conducted a MEDLINE search augmented by a manual search of bibliographies and a review of textbooks to identify articles regarding the clinical pharmacology of lithium, valproate, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, olanzapine, clozapine, risperidone, ziprasidone, quetiapine, lamotrigine, and topiramate.


RESULTS
Not surprisingly, there are a number of clinically relevant pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic differences among these medications, and these differences are discussed.


CONCLUSIONS
Knowledge of the clinical pharmacology of established and putative antimanic and mood-stabilizing medications is important in administering these agents safely and effectively.
Keck
Paul E
PE
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio 45267-0559, USA. keckpe@email.uc.edu
McElroy
Susan L
SL
D000341:Affective Disorders, Psychotic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D018692:Antimanic Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors