Role of lamotrigine in the management of treatment-resistant bipolar II depression: a chart review.
OBJECTIVE
We report the results of a retrospective, naturalistic study of lamotrigine in the management of treatment-resistant bipolar II depression.


METHODS
Hospital charts of 31 patients treated at a mood disorders clinic, who had been on lamotrigine for at least six months after failing to show an adequate response to a combination of two mood stabilizers or a mood stabilizer and an antidepressant, were reviewed using the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI) rating scale.


RESULTS
Patients were seen for an average of 19.4 months following the introduction of lamotrigine. The lamotrigine daily dose ranged from 50-400 mg (mean dose 199.2 mg) as monotherapy or in combination with a mood stabilizer, an atypical antipsychotic, or a sedative/hypnotic drug. Very much improvement was seen in 52% of patients and 32% were considered much improved.


CONCLUSIONS
These naturalistic data suggest that lamotrigine alone or in combination with other psychotropic drugs was well tolerated and effective in the management treatment-resistant bipolar II depression.


CONCLUSIONS
Retrospective design, small sample size, and lack of a control group.
Sharma
Verinder
V
Specialized Adult Ambulatory Care Program, Regional Mental Health Care London, Ontario, Canada. vsharma@uwo.ca
Khan
Mustaq
M
Corpse
Cynthia
C
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014227:Triazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018692:Antimanic Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D014227:Triazines; D000077213:Lamotrigine