J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 1992; 4:395-405
Copyright © 1992 by American Neuropsychiatric Association
Anticonvulsants in the treatment of bipolar disorder
PE Keck Jr, SL McElroy and CB Nemeroff
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH 45267-0559.
In the last decade, a proliferation of research has emerged concerning the
use of somatic treatments with anticonvulsant properties, e.g.,
carbamazepine, valproate, clonazepam, oxcarbazepine, and electroconvulsive
therapy (ECT), for patients with bipolar disorder. A sufficient number of
controlled studies have been conducted to allow critical review of the
evidence supporting the efficacy of these treatments for acute bipolar
manic and depressive episodes, as well as for the prevention of subsequent
episodes. Further research is needed to establish the prophylactic efficacy
of anticonvulsants as maintenance therapies and, perhaps most importantly,
to provide clinical and biological predictors of response.
