In maintenance trials atypical antipsychotics had significantly fewer relapses to depression or mania than placebo or active comparator .
Conclusion Atypical antipsychotics are effective in treating both phases of bipolar disorder compared with placebo , and as effective as established drug therapies .
Atypical antipsychotics produce fewer extrapyramidal symptoms , but weight gain is more common ( with olanzapine ) .
There is insufficient data confidently to distinguish between different atypical antipsychotics
Background Atypical antipsychotics are increasingly used for treatment of mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder , and considered to have fewer extrapyramidal effects than older antipsychotics .
Risperidone in the treatment of acute mania: double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
BACKGROUND Severe mania is life-threatening , carries an increased risk of suicide and has a serious impact on patients and their families . Efficient and rapid control of episodes of acute mania is needed . AIMS To evaluate the safety and efficacy of risperidone monotherapy for acute mania . METHOD In a 3-week , r and omised , double-blind trial , 290 in- patients with bipolar I disorder with current manic or mixed episode and a baseline Young Mania Rating Scale ( YMRS ) score of 20 or more received flexible doses of risperidone ( 1 - 6 mg per day ) or placebo . RESULTS Risperidone was received by 146 patients and placebo by144 . Their mean baseline YMRS score was 37.2 ( s.e.=0.5 ) . Significantly greater improvements were observed with risperidone than with placebo at weeks 1 and 2 and at end-point ( total YMRS : P < 0.01 ) . Extrapyramidal symptoms were the most frequently reported adverse events in the risperidone group . CONCLUSIONS In patients with severe manic symptoms , risperidone produced significant improvements in YMRS scores as early as week 1 and substantial changes at end-point . Treatment was well tolerated
In maintenance trials atypical antipsychotics had significantly fewer relapses to depression or mania than placebo or active comparator .
Conclusion Atypical antipsychotics are effective in treating both phases of bipolar disorder compared with placebo , and as effective as established drug therapies .
Atypical antipsychotics produce fewer extrapyramidal symptoms , but weight gain is more common ( with olanzapine ) .
There is insufficient data confidently to distinguish between different atypical antipsychotics
Background Atypical antipsychotics are increasingly used for treatment of mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder , and considered to have fewer extrapyramidal effects than older antipsychotics .