title: Atypical antipsychotics in the therapy of bipolar disorders: efficacy and safety.
abstract: Bipolar disorders are characterized by recurrent manic and depressive phases with early onset and poor prognosis for chronic symptoms and premature death. Almost a third of patients do not improve with the available treatments. Atypical antipsychotics have been tested in the treatment of bipolar disorder as an alternative to typical neuroleptics due to their safer side effect profile and have been hypothesized to be mood stabilizers on the basis of their activity on affective symptoms of schizophrenia. The most significant studies published up to now, concerning the use of clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine and ziprasidone in bipolar disorders are reviewed here. The receptor profile of these drugs is related to their side effects. Finally, the current indications of atypical antipsychotics and future research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Presidio Psichiatrico di Diagnosi e Cura 1, Policlinico, via del Pozzo 71, I41100 Modena, Italy. saradiloren@interfree.itsaradiloren@interfree.it
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Lorenzo
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Genedani