Maintenance treatment of adolescent bipolar disorder: open study of the effectiveness and tolerability of quetiapine
2009

Effectiveness of Quetiapine for Adolescent Bipolar Disorder

Sample size: 21 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Duffy Anne, Milin Robert, Grof Paul

Primary Institution: Dalhousie University

Hypothesis

Can quetiapine effectively prevent relapse in adolescents with bipolar disorder?

Conclusion

Quetiapine can successfully maintain a proportion of adolescent patients with bipolar disorder in good remission.

Supporting Evidence

  • 18 out of 21 patients completed the study.
  • 13 patients maintained good quality remission on quetiapine monotherapy.
  • Neurocognitive performance was comparable to matched controls.

Takeaway

This study shows that some teenagers with bipolar disorder can stay stable and feel better when taking quetiapine, a type of medicine.

Methodology

The study was a 48-week open prospective trial where patients stabilized on quetiapine were monitored for relapse.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the open-label design and lack of randomization.

Limitations

The study had a small sample size and was not randomized or blinded.

Participant Demographics

Participants were aged 13 to 20, with a mix of bipolar I, II, and NOS diagnoses.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.06

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-244X-9-4

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