Aripiprazole: pharmacology and evidence in bipolar disorder
- 1 May 2007
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Informa Healthcare in Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy
- Vol. 8 (7), 1001-1009
- https://doi.org/10.1517/14656566.8.7.1001
Abstract
Aripiprazole is a psychotropic agent with a novel pharmacologic profile. The purpose of this article is to review the pharmacology, efficacy and safety of aripiprazole in bipolar disorder. The authors conducted a PubMed search of all English-language articles published between January 1995 and February 2007. The key search term was 'aripiprazole' combined with: 'randomized controlled trial', 'pharmacology', 'pharmacokinetics', 'pharmacodynamics', 'depression', 'mania', 'maintenance' and 'bipolar disorder'. Abstracts and proceedings from national and international psychiatric meetings were also reviewed. The search was augmented with a manual review of relevant article reference lists. This review is limited to pivotal registration, as well as acute and maintenance, randomized controlled trials in bipolar disorder. Aripiprazole is established as efficacious in acute mania and in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. Aripiprazole has a favorable safety and tolerability profile, with minimal propensity for clinically significant weight gain and metabolic disruption. Extrapyramidal side effects, such as akathisia, are reported and may be treatment limiting in some cases. The hazard risk for tardive dyskinesia in the bipolar population is unknown. Aripiprazole constitutes an alternative mood-stabilizing pharmacologic avenue in bipolar disorder; its comparative efficacy in long-term recurrence prevention and bipolar depression is a future research vista.Keywords
This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit:
- Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Olanzapine as Maintenance Therapy in Patients With Bipolar I Disorder Responding to Acute Treatment With OlanzapineAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 2006
- Aripiprazole in the treatment of acute manic or mixed episodes in patients with bipolar I disorder: a 3-week placebo-controlled studyJournal of Psychopharmacology, 2006
- Psychotropic-Induced Weight Gain: Liability, Mechanisms and Treatment ApproachesPublished by Taylor & Francis Ltd ,2006
- Effectiveness of aripiprazole v. Haloperidol in acute bipolar maniaThe British Journal of Psychiatry, 2005
- The Texas Implementation of Medication AlgorithmsBritish Journal of Psychology, 2005
- Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) guidelines for the management of patients with bipolar disorder: consensus and controversiesBipolar Disorders, 2005
- Sertraline Treatment of Pathological GamblingBritish Journal of Psychology, 2005
- Double-Blind Comparison of the Continued Use of Antipsychotic Treatment Versus Its Discontinuation in Remitted Manic PatientsAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 2004
- A Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Aripiprazole in Patients With Acute Bipolar ManiaAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 2003
- Insurance Expenditures on Bipolar Disorder: Clinical and Parity ImplicationsAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 2003