Lamotrigine: A review of clinical studies in bipolar disorders

Objective: This article reviews published studies on the use of lamotrigine in the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD). Method: We performed a Medline search to identify the literature data base available on double-blind, open-label studies and case series on the use of lamotrigine to treat BD. Results: Three double-blind studies, 3 open-label studies, and 2 case series have been conducted to date (n = 401 patients). Most patients were either nonresponders or partial responders to other mood stabilizers. Overall, 50% to 83% of the patients responded to lamotrigine; doses in the studies ranged from 50 to 400 mg daily. Switching to mania while on 200 mg of lamotrigine or more was extremely rare, and there were no reports of serious adverse effects during the study periods. Conclusion: Lamotrigine is proving to be an effective agent in the treatment of BD and may be useful for patients who have not responded to other mood stabilizers.