title: Role of quetiapine beyond its clinical efficacy in bipolar disorder: From neuroprotection to the treatment of psychiatric disorders (Review).
abstract: The aim of the present review was to discuss the following aspects of treatment with quetiapine in psychiatric disorders: i) Neurocognition and functional recovery in bipolar disorder (BD); ii) neuroprotective profile in different models; and iii) potential off-label indications. A PubMed search was conducted of articles published in English between 2000 and 2012 on quetiapine, cross-referenced with the terms 'anxiety', 'attention deficit disorder', 'borderline personality disorder', 'dementia', 'insomnia', 'major depressive disorder' (MDD), 'obsessive-compulsive disorder', 'post-traumatic stress disorder', 'remission', 'cognition', 'neurobiology', 'neuroprotection', 'efficacy' and 'effectiveness'. Articles were selected from meta-analyses, randomized clinical trials and open trials, and the results were summarized. Quetiapine, when studied in off-label conditions, has shown efficacy as a monotherapy in MDD and general anxiety disorder. Quetiapine also appears to exhibit a small beneficial effect in dementia. The review of other conditions was affected by methodological limitations that precluded any definitive conclusions on the efficacy or safety of quetiapine. Overall, the present review shows evidence supporting a potential role for quetiapine in improving cognition, functional recovery and negative symptoms in a cost-effective manner in BD. These benefits of quetiapine are potentially associated with its well-described neuroprotective effects; however, further studies are clearly warranted.
authors: Mood Disorders Unit (GRUDA), Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Márcio G
authors: MG
authors: Soeiro-DE-Souza
authors: Mood Disorders Unit (GRUDA), Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Vasco Videira
authors: VV
authors: Dias
authors: Mood Disorders Unit (GRUDA), Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Missio
authors: University Hospital Doctor Peset and Section of Psychiatry, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain ; CIBER Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Vicent
authors: V
authors: Balanzá-Martinez
authors: Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27), Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Leandro
authors: L
authors: Valiengo
authors: Psychiatry Research Group and Department of Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
authors: André F
authors: AF
authors: Carvalho
authors: Mood Disorders Unit (GRUDA), Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Ricardo Alberto
authors: RA
authors: Moreno
keywords: antipsychotics; depression; neurocognition; neuroprotection; psychopharmacology; quetiapine