NCJ Number
213521
Journal
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 45 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2006 Pages: 289-297
Date Published
March 2006
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effectiveness and tolerability of lithium in the treatment of adolescents with acute depression with bipolar disorder.
Abstract
The study found that means scores on the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) decreased significantly from baseline to the endpoints of treatment, resulting in a large effect size of 1.7. Response and remission rates were defined by a 50 percent or more reduction in CDRS-R score from baseline to endpoint and a CDRS score less than 28 and an improvement score of 1 or 2 on the Clinical Global Impressions Scale for Bipolar Disorder (CGI-BP). The response and remission rates were 48 percent and 30 percent respectively. Side effects of the drug were mild to moderate in severity, included headache (74 percent), nausea/vomiting (67 percent), stomachache (30 percent), and abdominal cramps (19 percent). The findings indicate that lithium may be effective in treating acute depression in adolescents with bipolar disorder and is well-tolerated for the treatment of an acute episode of depression in adolescents with bipolar disorder. The authors recommend controlled studies of lithium in adolescent bipolar depression. The study involved 27 adolescents (12-18 years old) with an episode of depression associated with bipolar disorder type I. They received open-label lithium of 30 mg/kg twice daily, which was adjusted to achieve a therapeutic serum level. Effective measures were the scores on the CDRS-R and the CGI-BP. 2 figures, 1 table, and 44 references