This systematic review indicates that lithium is more effective than placebo as a treatment for acute mania but increases the risk for somnolence and tremor .
Limited evidence suggests little or no difference between lithium and other mood stabilisers ( valproate , carbamazepine ) or antipsychotics ( risperidone , quetiapine , haloperidol ) .
Olanzapine may be an exception , as it is probably slightly more effective than lithium .
There is uncertain evidence that risperidone may also be more effective than lithium .
Lithium is probably more effective at treating acute mania than topiramate .
When compared to placebo , lithium was more likely to cause adverse events .
More , rigorously design ed , large-scale studies are needed to definitively conclude if lithium is superior to other interventions in treating acute mania
BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder is a common condition associated with high morbidity ; developing efficacious , safe treatments is therefore essential .
Lithium is an effective maintenance treatment for bipolar disorder .
It acts as mood stabiliser and reduces the risk of suicide .
However , evidence assessing the efficacy of lithium in the treatment of acute mania is less robust .
Current evidence -based guidelines cite multiple anti-dopaminergic and mood-stabilising agents as initial treatments : more definite evidence is needed to decide if lithium should be the first-line therapy .
OBJECTIVES 1 .
To assess the effects of lithium in comparison with placebo or other active treatment in alleviating the acute symptoms of a manic or mixed episode in people with bipolar disorder.2 .
To review the acceptability and tolerability of treatment with lithium in comparison with placebo or other active treatments in alleviating the acute symptoms of a manic or mixed episode in people with bipolar disorder .
Open-label prospective trial of risperidone in combination with lithium or divalproex sodium in pediatric mania.
OBJECTIVE This prospect i ve 6-month open trial examined the safety and efficacy of two combination therapies for manic or mixed episodes of pediatric bipolar disorder : ( 1 ) divalproex sodium plus risperidone ( DVPX+Risp ) , or ( 2 ) lithium plus risperidone ( Li+Risp ) . METHODS Thirty-seven ( 37 ) subjects aged 5 and 18 ( age=12.1+/-3.5 years ) with DSM IV current mixed or manic episode and Young Mania Rating Scale ( YMRS ) score > 20 were sequentially assigned to either DVPX+Risp or Li+Risp in a 6-month , prospect i ve open-label trial . Outcome measures included the YMRS , Clinical Global Impression Scale for Bipolar Disorder ( CGI-BP ) , Child Depression Rating Scale-Revised ( CDRS-R ) as well as measures of safety and tolerability . RESULTS Effect sizes ( Cohen 's d ) based on change of YMRS scores from baseline were 4.36 for DVPX+Risp and 2.82 for Li+Risp .  Response rates ( > or=50 % change from baseline YMRS score at the end of study ) were 80 % for DVPX+Risp and 82.4 % for Li+Risp . Both combination treatments were well tolerated . Significant improvements ( p<0.001 ) from baseline were seen for mean scores on all efficacy measures , i.e. , YMRS , CGI-BP , and CDRS-R. There were no significant group differences in safety or tolerability , and no serious adverse events during the 6-month trial . CONCLUSION Both DVPX+Risp and Li+Risp show strong effects coupled with safety and tolerability in treating children and adolescents with manic or mixed episodes associated with type I bipolar disorder
This systematic review indicates that lithium is more effective than placebo as a treatment for acute mania but increases the risk for somnolence and tremor .
Limited evidence suggests little or no difference between lithium and other mood stabilisers ( valproate , carbamazepine ) or antipsychotics ( risperidone , quetiapine , haloperidol ) .
Olanzapine may be an exception , as it is probably slightly more effective than lithium .
There is uncertain evidence that risperidone may also be more effective than lithium .
Lithium is probably more effective at treating acute mania than topiramate .
When compared to placebo , lithium was more likely to cause adverse events .
More , rigorously design ed , large-scale studies are needed to definitively conclude if lithium is superior to other interventions in treating acute mania
BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder is a common condition associated with high morbidity ; developing efficacious , safe treatments is therefore essential .
Lithium is an effective maintenance treatment for bipolar disorder .
It acts as mood stabiliser and reduces the risk of suicide .
However , evidence assessing the efficacy of lithium in the treatment of acute mania is less robust .
Current evidence -based guidelines cite multiple anti-dopaminergic and mood-stabilising agents as initial treatments : more definite evidence is needed to decide if lithium should be the first-line therapy .
OBJECTIVES 1 .
To assess the effects of lithium in comparison with placebo or other active treatment in alleviating the acute symptoms of a manic or mixed episode in people with bipolar disorder.2 .
To review the acceptability and tolerability of treatment with lithium in comparison with placebo or other active treatments in alleviating the acute symptoms of a manic or mixed episode in people with bipolar disorder .