Health & Medicine
Bipolar Disorder: Lithium Now Safe For Child Patients
Kathleen Lees
First Posted: Oct 12, 2015 07:34 PM EDT
New findings published in the journal Pediatrics led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Children's Center show that lithium is safe for children with bipolar disorder.
The drug has been used for decades to successfully treat adult bipolar disorder. It has also been used, in some cases, for children. However, a lack of significant data has prevented widespread use of the drug among children. Thus, many child patients have been treated with medications used for schizophrenia, which may carry harsher unwanted side-effects.
"Lithium is the grandfather of all treatments for bipolar disorder, but it has never been rigorously studied in children," Dr. Robert Findling, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in a news release.
In this recent study, researchers worked with 81 patients between the ages of 7 and 17 who were treated at nine medical centers. For up to eight weeks of treatment, 53 received lithium at a standard dose that was increased over time as needed. The other 28 patients received a placebo during the study period.
Researchers used the Young Mania Rating scale to measure reaction to treatment. They also tracked side effects from the drug's use, including weight gain. However, the drug did not result in serious side effects that are sometimes linked to anti-psychotics, such as risperidone or olanzapine.
Findings revealed that 47 percent of patients on lithium had significant improvement in symptoms when compared to 21 percent who received the placebo.
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TagsHealth, Human, Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Young Mania Rating scale, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Weight Gain, Anti-Psychotics ©2024 ScienceWorldReport.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The window to the world of science news.
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First Posted: Oct 12, 2015 07:34 PM EDT
New findings published in the journal Pediatrics led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Children's Center show that lithium is safe for children with bipolar disorder.
The drug has been used for decades to successfully treat adult bipolar disorder. It has also been used, in some cases, for children. However, a lack of significant data has prevented widespread use of the drug among children. Thus, many child patients have been treated with medications used for schizophrenia, which may carry harsher unwanted side-effects.
"Lithium is the grandfather of all treatments for bipolar disorder, but it has never been rigorously studied in children," Dr. Robert Findling, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in a news release.
In this recent study, researchers worked with 81 patients between the ages of 7 and 17 who were treated at nine medical centers. For up to eight weeks of treatment, 53 received lithium at a standard dose that was increased over time as needed. The other 28 patients received a placebo during the study period.
Researchers used the Young Mania Rating scale to measure reaction to treatment. They also tracked side effects from the drug's use, including weight gain. However, the drug did not result in serious side effects that are sometimes linked to anti-psychotics, such as risperidone or olanzapine.
Findings revealed that 47 percent of patients on lithium had significant improvement in symptoms when compared to 21 percent who received the placebo.
Related Articles
'Special K' May Ward Off Depression, Bipolar Disorder
Robin Williams' Death: Reflections On Bipolar Disorder
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone