Lithium treatment -- moderate dose use study (LiTMUS) for bipolar disorder: rationale and design.
BACKGROUND
Recent data indicate that lithium use for bipolar disorder has declined over the last decade and that lithium largely has been replaced with alternate, commercially promoted medications that may or may not result in better outcomes.


OBJECTIVE
This article describes the rationale and study design of LiTMUS, a multi-site, prospective, randomized clinical trial of outpatients with bipolar disorder. LiTMUS seeks to address whether initiating therapy at lower doses of lithium as part of optimized treatment (OPT, guideline-informed, evidence-based, and personalized pharmacotherapy) improves outcomes and decreases the need for other medication changes across 6 months of therapy.


METHODS
LiTMUS will randomize 284 adults with bipolar disorder (Type I or II) across 6 study sites. The co-primary outcomes are overall illness severity on clinical global improvement scale for bipolar disorder and a novel measure, necessary clinical adjustments. This metric provides a composite that reflects both clinical response and tolerability. Other relevant outcomes include full symptomatic recovery, quality of life, suicidal behaviors, and moderators of suicidality.


RESULTS
As of August 28th, 2009, we have consented 338 patients and randomized 281 for this study.


CONCLUSIONS
The potential limitations of the study include an arbitrary definition of 'low, but effective' doses of lithium, lack of a placebo-controlled group, open treatment, and use of a new outcome measure (i.e., necessary clinical adjustments).


CONCLUSIONS
We expect that this study will inform our understanding of the effectiveness of low to moderate doses of lithium therapy for individuals with bipolar disorder.
Nierenberg
Andrew A
AA
Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. anierenberg@partners.org
Sylvia
Louisa G
LG
Leon
Andrew C
AC
Reilly-Harrington
Noreen A
NA
Ketter
Terence A
TA
Calabrese
Joseph R
JR
Thase
Michael E
ME
Bowden
Charles L
CL
Friedman
Edward S
ES
Ostacher
Michael J
MJ
Novak
Lena
L
Iosifescu
Dan V
DV
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D018020:Lithium Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D018579:Patient Selection; D011788:Quality of Life; D012107:Research Design; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018020:Lithium Compounds