%0 Journal Article
%T Treatment of bipolar disorder: a complex treatment for a multi-faceted disorder
%A Konstantinos N Fountoulakis
%A Eduard Vieta
%A Melina Siamouli
%A Marc Valenti
%A Stamatia Magiria
%A Timucin Oral
%A David Fresno
%A Panteleimon Giannakopoulos
%A George S Kaprinis
%J Annals of General Psychiatry
%D 2007
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1744-859x-6-27
%X This article summarizes the current status of our knowledge and practice of its treatment.It is widely accepted that lithium is moderately useful during all phases of bipolar illness and it might possess a specific effectiveness on suicidal prevention. Both first and second generation antipsychotics are widely used and the FDA has approved olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine, ziprasidone and aripiprazole for the treatment of acute mania. These could also be useful in the treatment of bipolar depression, but only limited data exists so far to support the use of quetiapine monotherapy or the olanzapine-fluoxetine combination. Some, but not all, anticonvulsants possess a broad spectrum of effectiveness, including mixed dysphoric and rapid-cycling forms. Lamotrigine may be effective in the treatment of depression but not mania. Antidepressant use is controversial. Guidelines suggest their cautious use in combination with an antimanic agent, because they are supposed to induce switching to mania or hypomania, mixed episodes and rapid cycling.The first-line psychosocial intervention in BD is psychoeducation, followed by cognitive-behavioral therapy. Other treatment options include Electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation. There is a gap between the evidence base, which comes mostly from monotherapy trials, and clinical practice, where complex treatment regimens are the rule.The term 'bipolar disorder' (BD) is the contemporary label used for what is widely known as manic depressive illness, and was described for the first time by Hippocrates and Areteus. In modern times, Falret defined it as an illness in 1851. Today, two types are officially recognized, bipolar disorder type I and type II (BD-I and BD-II), and combined they account for a 3.7% prevalence rate or higher [1,2]. Both types constitute disabling conditions. Treatment aims to the resolution of symptoms, the restoration of psychosocial functioning and the prevention of relapses.When collect
%U http://www.annals-general-psychiatry.com/content/6/1/27