Comparative pharmacology of
bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
by
Post RM
Biological Psychiatry Branch,
National Institute of Mental Health,
Bethesda, MD 20892-1272, USA.
robert.post@nih.gov
Schizophr Res 1999 Sep 29; 39(2):153-8; discussion 163

ABSTRACT

The treatment of acute mania and schizophrenia overlap considerably in terms of the typical and atypical neuroleptics, but begin to diverge with the recognized mood stabilizers for bipolar affective illness--lithium, carbamazepine, and valproate--which are substantially less effective in schizophrenia than in affective illness. Moreover, the L-type calcium channel blocker verapamil is reported to be effective in mania, but it may exacerbate schizophrenia. A series of new putative mood stabilizing anticonvulsants (such as lamotrigine, gabapentin, and topiramate) and possible second-messenger targeted treatments (tamoxifen and omega-3 fatty acids) deserve further study in both affective and schizophrenic syndromes. Repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the brain offers considerable promise in the treatment of a variety of neuropsychiatric syndromes, especially with preliminary evidence of frequency-dependent effects on regional cerebral blood flow. New insights about the potential neurotrophic effects of lithium and the gene transcriptional effects of other psychotropics offer exciting new targets for therapeutics and strategies for future clinical trials and therapeutic applications in both syndromes.

rTMS
Mania
Lithium
Bipolar II
Valproate
Quetiapine
Ziprasidone
Gabapentin
Lamotrigine
Risperidone
Antipsychotics
Carbamazepine
Anticonvulsants
Bipolar disorders
Atypical antipsychotics
Schizoaffective disorder
Valproate versus lithium
Dopamine model of schizophrenia
Big Pharma and drugs for schizophrenics
Atypical antipsychotics for schizophrenia
Atypicals versus traditional antipsychotics

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