Combination pharmacotherapy in children and adolescents with bipolar disorder.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to develop prospective data on the effectiveness of combination pharmacotherapy of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder during a 6-month period of prospective, semi-naturalistic treatment.


METHODS
Thirty-five subjects, with a mean age of 11 years, were treated in the extension phase of this study after having received 6-8 weeks of acute treatment with a single mood stabilizer. The extension phase of this study lasted for another 16 weeks, for a total of 24 weeks of prospective treatment. During this study phase, subjects were openly treated, and they could have their acute-phase mood stabilizer switched or augmented with another mood stabilizer, a stimulant, an antidepressant agent, or antipsychotic agent, if they were assessed to be a nonresponder to monotherapy with their initial mood stabilizer.


RESULTS
During the extension phase of treatment, 20 of 35 subjects (58%) required treatment with one or two mood stabilizers and either a stimulant, an atypical antipsychotic agent, or an antidepressant agent. The response rate to combination therapy was very good, with 80% of subjects treated responding to combination therapy with two mood stabilizers after not responding to monotherapy with a mood stabilizer.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that children and adolescents with bipolar disorder are similar to adults with bipolar disorder, who also frequently require combination therapy.
Kowatch
Robert A
RA
Department of Psychiatry, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, USA.
Sethuraman
Gopalan
G
Hume
Judith H
JH
Kromelis
Michelle
M
Weinberg
Warren A
WA
D000293:Adolescent; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016642:Bupropion / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018967:Risperidone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018692:Antimanic Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D016642:Bupropion; D002220:Carbamazepine; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008094:Lithium; D008774:Methylphenidate; D018967:Risperidone; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D014635:Valproic Acid