The role of lithium treatment on comorbid anxiety symptoms in patients with bipolar depression

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Jones, Gregory ; Rong, Carola ; Vecera, Courtney M. ; Gurguis, Christopher, I ; Chudal, Roshan ; Khairova, Rushaniya ; Leung, Edison ; Ruiz, Ana C. ; Shahani, Lokesh ; Zanetti, Marcus, V ; de Sousa, Rafael T. ; Busatto, Geraldo ; Soares, Jair ; Gattaz, Wagner F. ; Machado-Vieira, Rodrigo

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Journal of Affective Disorders; v. 308, p. 5-pg., 2022-04-13.

Resumo

Background: Comorbid anxiety is pervasive and carries an immense psychosocial burden for patients with bipolar disorder. Despite this, trials reporting anxiety-related outcomes in this population are uncommon, particularly with regards to monotherapies.Methods: Patients (n = 31) with both bipolar I or II disorder in current depressive episodes were enrolled in a sixweek, open-label, single-center trial assessing the efficacy of lithium monotherapy in treating symptoms depression and comorbid anxiety. Patients were mostly medication-free and lithium-naive at baseline.Results: Significant improvements in depression (HAM-D) and anxiety (HAM-A) were observed at the six-week endpoint, with remission and response rates greater than 50%. There was a positive correlation between endpoint HAM-A scores and HAM-D scores, r = 0.80, (p < 0.01). Improvements were realized at low serum lithium concentrations (0.49 +/- 0.20 mEq/L). Limitations: Lack of placebo control and small sample size warrants validation in larger randomized studies.Conclusions: Taken in the context of prior evidence, lithium may have an important role in treating comorbid anxiety in bipolar disorder, both as adjunct and monotherapy. Lower doses of lithium may provide equivalent efficacy and enhance tolerability and compliance. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 09/14891-9 - Avaliação longitudinal dos efeitos neuroprotetores e neurotróficos induzidos pelo lítio no transtorno bipolar: identificação de alvos clinicamente relevantes
• Beneficiário: Rodrigo Machado-Vieira
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Jovens Pesquisadores