Lithium and anticonvulsants for prevention of recurrence in bipolar affective disorder

Abstract

Results of clinical studies which are intensively conducted in recent years, continuously enrich an arsenal of the means united by the general ability to prevent relapses of bipolar affective disorder, and demand dynamic correction of clinical approaches to therapy. The present article is the first of a series of the publications devoted to preventive therapy of bipolar affective disorder. It represents the review of data of modern literature on preventive efficiency of lithium and antikonvulsants and is based, first of all, on results of randomized controlled studies. Considering that lithium, valpoate and carbamazepine, traditionally applied throughout decades, withstanded the test of time in long term clinical use, took root into practice when the methodology of evidential researches wasn’t rather  developed yet, generalized data of pioneer open researches of their mood-stabilizing efficiency are provided in article. Results of clinical studies of prophylactic efficacy of atypical antipsychotics and practical recommendations for prophylactic therapy in bipolar disorder will be presented in the following sections of this series of publications.