Atypical Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Affective Symptoms: A Review

Author: PRAKASH MASAND

Source: Annals of Clinical Psychiatry (after Jan 1, 2004), Volume 16, Number 1, 2004 , pp. 3-13(11)

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Abstract:

Atypical antipsychotics have demonstrated beneficial effects on affective symptoms, in addition to antipsychotic activity. Consequently, their role in the treatment of bipolar disorder and treatment-resistant or psychotic depression has been explored. Adjunctive atypical antipsychotic therapy appears to benefit patients experiencing manic episodes of bipolar disorder, and some studies suggest that monotherapy may also be efficacious. Clinical studies of patients with schizoaffective disorder and major depression support the use of atypical antipsychotics to treat depression. This review focuses on risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, and ziprasidone and provides evidence that these drugs demonstrate activity against manic episodes of bipolar disorder when used as adjunctive therapy and possibly as monotherapy and that depression in patients with schizoaffective disorder also responds to these agents.

Keywords: Keywords; Risperidone; Olanzapine; Quetiapine; Ziprasidone; Bipolar disorder; Mania; Depression

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10401230490281410

Affiliations: 1: Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Publication date: 2004-01-01