Response and remission rates during 24 weeks of mood-stabilizing treatment for bipolar depression depending on early non-response

• Published in: Psychiatry research 2021-11, Vol.305, p.114194-114194, Article 114194
• Main Authors: Köhler-Forsberg, Ole, Sloth, Kirstine H., Sylvia, Louisa G., Thase, Michael, Calabrese, Joseph R., Tohen, Mauricio, Bowden, Charles L., McInnis, Melvin, Kocsis, James H., Friedman, Edward S., Ketter, Terence A., McElroy, Susan L., Shelton, Richard C, Iosifescu, Dan V, Ostacher, Michael J., Nierenberg, Andrew A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Affect; Antidepressant treatment; Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use; Bipolar depression; Bipolar Disorder - chemically induced; Bipolar Disorder - drug therapy; Double-Blind Method; Early non-response; Female; Humans; Lithium; Lithium - therapeutic use; Male; Mood-stabilizing; Quetiapine; Quetiapine Fumarate - therapeutic use; Response; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114194

•Among 592 patients with bipolar depression, initial non-response was high.•Among patients with non-response after 6 weeks, only one-third eventually responded by 24 weeks.•The findings did not improve among patients with additional guideline-based treatment. We aimed to study the probability of bipolar depression response at 24 weeks given initial non-response. We combined two multi-site, 24-week trials including similar populations following the same evidence-based guidelines randomizing patients to lithium or quetiapine. Additional mood-stabilizing treatment was possible if clinically indicated. We report cumulative proportions of response (>50% improvement in MADRS) and remission (MADRS