title: Lamotrigine treatment of adolescents with unipolar and bipolar depression: a retrospective chart review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the preliminary effectiveness and safety of lamotrigine for the treatment of depressive episodes in adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a 12 week retrospective chart review of lamotrigine treatment among 37 adolescents (mean age 16.3±1.3 years) with depressive episodes (15 with bipolar disorder and 22 with major depressive disorder). Illness severity at the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks were retrospectively scored using Clinical Global Impressions - Severity (CGI-S) and Clinical Global Impressions - Improvement (CGI-I).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean dose of lamotrigine was 65.4±37.5 mg/day (range 12.5-181.7 mg/day) for a mean duration of 199.9±217.4 days (range 14-879 days). The CGI-S scores were significantly decreased over 12 weeks (F=39.611, p<0.001, partial η2=0.531). Seventeen subjects (45.9%) showed a treatment response at 12 week follow up (defined by a CGI-I score ≤2). There were no differences in treatment effectiveness between the bipolar and unipolar groups. Overall, lamotrigine was well tolerated. The most common adverse event was skin rash (n=5, 13.5%), which resolved spontaneously after drug discontinuation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results provide preliminary evidence of the effectiveness and safety of lamotrigine in adolescents with bipolar and depressive disorders. Large, prospective, placebo-controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Usan College of Medicine , Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Shon
authors.forename: Yeonho
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Jung-Sun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyo-Won
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014227:Triazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014227:Triazines; D000077213:Lamotrigine