Atypical antipsychotics in the treatment of bipolar disorder.
Atypical antipsychotic medications are widely used for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Most empirical support suggests that these medications are efficacious in the treatment of acute mania, but there is considerably less support for the utility of these drugs in other phases of bipolar disorder. However, it is likely that several of these drugs will demonstrate efficacy in relapse prevention, and perhaps antidepressant efficacy in bipolar disorder as more studies are conducted. Atypical antipsychotics offer different side effect profiles than older antipsychotics, which may be of benefit for some patients. Consequently, atypical antipsychotics provide an important treatment option for bipolar patients.
Strakowski
Stephen M
SM
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, PO Box 670559, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0559, USA. strakosm@E-mail.uc.edu
Del Bello
Melissa P
MP
Adler
Caleb M
CM
Keck
Paul E
PE
D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents