title: Mood-stabilizers: the archeology of the concept.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the history of 'mood-stabilizing' treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have reviewed primary source data on the origin of the use of current mood-stabilizers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This historical record on the origins of the mood-stabilizers points to a more ambiguous picture as regards pharmacotherapeutic specificity to bipolar disorders than is commonly conceded.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review suggests a need for alternative formulations of the concept of a mood-stabilizer. An alternative to the currently dominant paradigm is that these agents have treatment effects, which need to be matched more precisely with patients' constitutional types in order to optimize outcomes.
authors.affiliation: North Wales Department of Psychological Medicine, Hergest Unit, Bangor, UK.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Summit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chandran
authors.forename: Nabonita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Healy
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000266:history; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003210:Concept Formation; D005544:Forecasting; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D016651:Lithium Carbonate / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000266:history; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000266:history* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D018692:Antimanic Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D002220:Carbamazepine; D014635:Valproic Acid; C004651:dipropylacetamide