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ESI Special Topics, June 2003
Citing URL: http://www.esi-topics.com/erf/2003/junel03-MauricioTohen.html

From •>>June 2003

Mauricio Tohen answers a few questions about this month's emerging research front in field of Psychiatry/Psychology:

Psychiatry/Psychology
Article Title: "Efficacy of olanzapine in combination with valproate or lithium in the treatment of mania in patients partially nonresponsive to valproate or lithium monotherapy"
 Author: Tohen, M;Chengappa, KNR;Suppes, T;Zarate, CA;Calabrese, JR;Bowden, CL;Sachs, GS;Kupfer, DJ;Baker, RW;Risser, RC;Keeter, EL;Feldman, PD;Tollefson, GD;Breier, A
Journal: ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, 59: (1) 62-69 JAN 2002
Addresses:
Eli Lilly & Co, Lilly Res Labs, Indianapolis, IN 46285 USA.
Harvard Univ, Sch Med, McLean Hosp, Dept Psychiat, Belmont, MA 02178 USA.
Eli Lilly & Co, Lilly Res Labs, Indianapolis, IN 46285 USA.
Univ Pittsburgh, Med Ctr, Western Psychiat Inst & Clin, Pittsburgh, PA USA.
SW Texas State Univ, Med Ctr, Dept Psychiat, Dallas, TX USA.
NIMH, Mood & Anxiety Disorders Program, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA.
Case Western Reserve Univ, Dept Psychiat, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA.
Harvard Univ, Sch Med, Dept Psychiat, Massachusetts Gen Hosp, Boston, MA 02138 USA.
Univ Texas, Hlth Sci Ctr, Dept Psychiat, San Antonio, TX 78284 USA.


ST:  Why do you think your paper is highly cited?

I feel the paper is highly cited because it answers an important clinical question: "What to do when lithium or valproate do not treat a manic or mixed episode in bipolar disorder after two weeks of treatment". In clinical practice, patients who suffer from an acute manic or mixed episode are for the most part treated with combination therapy instead of monotherapy. This study demonstrated that the combination of olanzapine plus lithium or valproate is more effective than lithium or valproate alone in the treatment of acute manic or mixed episodes in bipolar disorder.

ST:  Does it describe a new discovery or new methodology that's useful to others?

The importance of the study is that it addresses a clinical question, yet the study is conducted within the rigor of a randomized double blind clinical trial. It was the first published controlled trial comparing combination treatment of an atypical antipsychotic combined with lithium or valproate compared with lithium or valproate monotherapy.

ST:  Could you summarize the significance of your paper in layman's terms?

The significance of the paper is that combination of olanzapine plus lithium or valproate in the treatment of acute mania appears to be more effective than lithium or valproate alone with no major additional side effects.

ST:  How did you become involved in this research?

I have been involved in research in bipolar disorders at Harvard Medical School for the last 20 years. Six years ago I joined Lilly Research Laboratories as an investigator, in order to design the studies addressing the use of olanzapine in bipolar disorder. In collaboration with a number of experts in bipolar disorder around the world, I am currently involved in a number of clinical trials that will determine the risks and benefits of the use of olanzapine in the different phases of bipolar disorder.End

Mauricio Tohen, M.D., Dr.P.H.
Lilly Research Laboratories
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

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ESI Special Topics, June 2003
Citing URL: http://www.esi-topics.com/erf/2003/junel03-MauricioTohen.html
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