Randomized, placebo-controlled trial of quetiapine XR and divalproex ER monotherapies in the treatment of the anxious bipolar patient.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders complicate the treatment of bipolar disorder but are seldom the focus of bipolar treatment studies. METHODS: The anxiolytic effect of quetiapine XR 50-300 mg/day compared to divalproex ER (500-3000 mg/day) was tested in an 8-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial in 149 patients with bipolar disorder and a co-occurring panic disorder or GAD. The primary efficacy measure was the Clinician Global Improvement-21 Anxiety Scale (CGI-21). Secondary measures included the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) and Sheehan Panic Disorder Scale (SPS). RESULTS: Repeated measures last-observation-carried-forward (LOCF) analyses of variance demonstrated significant treatment-by-time interaction effects on 3 of the 4 anxiety measures. Quetiapine XR at a mean endpoint dose of 186 mg/day produced rapid sustained improvements relative to baseline, divalproex ER and placebo on anxiety. Mean baseline-to-endpoint improvement was significantly greater for quetiapine XR compared to divalproex ER and placebo on the HAM-A and SPS. Both active medications were well tolerated, but weight gain was higher on quetiapine XR. LIMITATIONS: The study was limited to 8 weeks and to patients with bipolar disorder and comorbid panic disorder or GAD. The results may not be applicable to quetiapine XR as an add-on treatment to mood stabilizers or to bipolar disorder comorbid with other anxiety disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Quetiapine XR in a dose range of 50-300 mg/day appears to reduce anxiety in bipolar patients with comorbid panic disorder or GAD treated for 8 weeks. The efficacy of other second-generation antipsychotics and mood stabilizers in patients with bipolar disorder and a co-occurring anxiety disorder should be investigated in double-blind, placebo-controlled studies.

Assessing remission in major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder clinical trials with the discan metric of the Sheehan disability scale.

Relatively little research has focused on the relationship between functional remission and symptomatic remission in mood and anxiety disorders. This study investigates the relationship and synchrony between symptomatic and functional remission in outpatients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Using data from three MDD (N=1419) and four GAD (N=1847) randomized, placebo-controlled duloxetine studies, we calculated the percentages of patients meeting symptomatic, functional, and combined functional-symptomatic remission criteria for each disorder. We also calculated mean depression [17-item Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD17), Montgomery-Asberg depression rating scale] scores and mean anxiety (Hamilton anxiety rating scale) scores for patients meeting Sheehan disability scale (SDS) functional remission and the mean SDS scores for patients with symptomatic remission. Among the patients with MDD, 38% achieved symptomatic remission (HAMD17 ≤ 7), 32% achieved functional remission (SDS ≤ 6), and 23% achieved combined functional-symptomatic remission. Mean HAMD17 and Montgomery-Asberg depression rating scale scores for patients with functional remission were approximately 6. Mean SDS total scores for patients with symptomatic remission were 7.1 (patients with HAMD17 ≤ 7) and 8.6 (patients with Montgomery-Asberg depression rating scale ≤ 10). Among the patients with GAD, 30% achieved symptomatic remission (Hamilton anxiety rating scale ≤ 7), 45% achieved functional remission (SDS ≤ 6), and 25% achieved combined symptomatic-functional remission. The mean Hamilton anxiety rating scale score in GAD was approximately 8 for patients with functional remission and the mean SDS total score was approximately 4 in patients with symptomatic remission. The study shows that functional remission does not always move in tandem with symptom remission and provides useful anchor points or rules of thumb for evaluating symptomatic and functional remission in MDD and GAD.

Randomized, placebo-controlled trial of risperidone for acute treatment of bipolar anxiety.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of bipolar disorder is often complicated by the presence of a co-occuring anxiety disorder. Although second generation antipsychotics are being used with increasing frequency in bipolar patients, their anxiolytic effects have not been well studied in this population. METHODS: The anxiolytic effect of risperidone 0.5-4 mg/day was tested in an 8-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial in 111 patients with bipolar disorder and a co-occuring panic disorder or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The primary outcome measure was the Clinician Global Improvement-21 Anxiety scale (CGI-21 Anxiety). Secondary measures included the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) and the Sheehan Panic Disorder Scale. RESULTS: On the last-observation-carried forward analysis of repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), risperidone was not more effective than placebo for the CGI-21 Anxiety score or the other anxiety outcome measures. Risperidone was well tolerated, with only two patients withdrawing because of adverse events. LIMITATIONS: The risperidone treated group had more patients with mixed states and lifetime panic disorder at randomization than the placebo group. The study was limited to 8 weeks and to individuals with bipolar and comorbid panic disorder or GAD. The results may not be applicable to risperidone as an add-on treatment to mood stabilizers, or to bipolar disorder comorbid with anxiety disorders other than panic disorder or GAD. CONCLUSIONS: Risperidone monotherapy was not an effective anxiolytic for bipolar patients with comorbid panic disorder or GAD in doses of 0.5-4 mg/day over 8 weeks of treatment. The efficacy of other second generation antipsychotics and mood stabilizers on anxiety in patients with bipolar disorder and a co-occuring anxiety disorder should be investigated in double-blind, placebo-controlled studies.