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Lithium therapy: from clinical trials to practical management
Author(s) -
Coppen A.,
AbouSaleh M.T.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1988.tb06415.x
Subject(s) - schizoaffective disorder , bipolar disorder , lithium (medication) , medicine , bipolar illness , psychiatry , clinical trial , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , antidepressant , pediatrics , psychosis , mania , anxiety
Controlled trials have shown that lithium significantly reduces the morbidity of recurrent affective disorders. We descibe here the ongoing affective morbidity in unipolar, bipolar and schizoaffective illness treated primarily by low dosage, once daily lithium, supplemented as necessary by antidepressant or neuroleptic medication. Seventy‐eight percent of unipolar patients and 73% of bipolar and schizoaffective patients had no or only slight morbidity during the study year. The treatment was equally effective for both older (age > 70 years) and younger patients. Unipolar patients rated as endogenous on the Newcastle Scale had significantly lower morbidity than the nonendogenous patients. Subjective side effects were minimal. These patients, whose untreated morbidity is known to be high, derive considerable benefit from regular supervision in an affective disorder clinic.