title: Comparison the effectiveness of aripiprazole and risperidone for the treatment of acute bipolar mania.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Second-generation antipsychotics, approved for the treatment of mania, are associated with adverse effects such as weight gain and metabolic disorders. Aripiprazole, a recently introduced second-generation antipsychotic, are thought to account for its low propensity for weight gain, metabolic disturbances and sedation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of risperidone versus aripiprazole in the treatment of acute mania.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients with acute episodes of mania were enrolled in this study, and they were randomly assigned into a risperidone group of 24 cases and an aripiprazole group of 26 cases. In group A, aripiprazole with a dose of 5-30 mg/day and in group B, risperidone with a dose of 2-8 mg/day was given to patients. The average dose of aripiprazole was 27 mg/day, and the average dose of risperidone was 6 mg/day. The effects of each drug for the treatment of acute mania were assessed on the 1(st) day of admission and on days 2, 4, 6, 8 and at weeks 2, 4 and 6 after therapy using the young mania rating scale (YMRS) and at the baseline and on weeks 3 and 6 after admission using the clinical global impression (CGI) scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the group of risperidone was 34 ± 8.6 years and in a group of aripiprazole it was 34 ± 9.1 years (P = 0.83). Comparison of YMRS scores over the period of 6 weeks revealed a statistically significant difference in both groups (P < 0.0001). There was also a statistically significant difference in YMRS scores between risperidone and aripiprazole at day 8 (P = 0.026) and weeks 2 (P = 0.035) and 4 (P = 0.042). There was also a statistically significant difference in CGI-Severity scale score at weeks 3 (P = 0.003) and 6 (P = 0.000) and in CGI-Improvement scale score at weeks 3 (P = 0.005) and 6 (P = 0.002). The most common side-effect observed in both groups was headache (0%15/4 in aripiprazole vs. %16/7 in risperidone).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aripiprazole that is readily available in our market, could be considered more effective than risperidone in the treatment of acute mania.
authors.affiliation: Medical Student, Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir Akhavan
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rezayat
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Ibn-e-Sina Hospital, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Paria
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hebrani
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Ibn-e-Sina Hospital, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Behdani
authors.affiliation: Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salaran
authors.affiliation: Medical Doctor, Department of Psychiatry, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Majid Nabizadeh
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Marvast
keywords: Aripiprazole; mania; risperidone