An open study of methylphenidate
in bipolar depression
by
El-Mallakh RS.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
University of Louisville School of Medicine,
KY 40292, USA.
rselma01@athena.louisville.edu
Bipolar Disord 2000 Mar; 2(1):56-9

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The treatment of bipolar depression is problematic. Mood stabilizing agents are often inadequate, while antidepressants may induce mania or mood destabilization. Methylphenidate has been advocated as an effective antidepressant agent in unipolar depression, and depression secondary to medical illness. Amphetamine administration has been shown to reduce manic behavior. These independent observations suggest that methylphenidate may be a safe and effective agent in bipolar depression. METHODS: Fourteen depressed subjects with DSM-IV bipolar illness and a Hamilton-depression (HAM-D) scale score of at least 15 had methylphenidate added to a stable mood stabilizer regiment. Patients were followed weekly for 4 weeks and then biweekly for an additional 8 weeks. RESULTS: HAM-D scores dropped from 16.9 +/- 1.79 SD at baseline to 9.4 +/- 9.73 on week 12 (p = 0.12, t = 1.84, df= 6) and 9.8 +/- 7.56 on last observation carried forward (LOCF) (p = 0.019, t = 2.8, df = 10). Psychiatric symptom assessment scale (PSAS) scores dropped from 17.9 +/- 5.63 at baseline to 4.8 +/- 7.47 at week 12 (p = 0.016, t = 4.02, df= 4) and 6.3 +/- 6.75 on LOCF (p = 0.007, t = 3.74, df = 7). Three individuals stopped secondary to anxiety, agitation, and hypomania, respectively. CONCLUSION: In this brief, open study, methylphenidate was effective and relatively safe in depressed bipolar subjects.

Bipolar depression
Methylphenidate SR
Methylphenidate: profile
Methylphenidate / cocaine
Methylphenidate and SSRIs
The neural basis of addiction
Big Pharma meets Madison Avenue
Methylphenidate (Ritalin) for ADHD
Methylphenidate, dopamine and PD
Methylphenidate (Ritalin), dopamine and cocaine
Methylphenidate (Ritalin) plus citalopram (Cipramil, Celexa)

Refs
and further reading

HOME
HedWeb
Nootropics
cocaine.wiki
Future Opioids
BLTC Research
MDMA/Ecstasy
Superhapiness?
Utopian Surgery?
The Abolitionist Project
The Hedonistic Imperative
The Reproductive Revolution
Critique of Huxley's Brave New World

The Good Drug Guide
The Responsible Parent's Guide
To Healthy Mood Boosters For All The Family