Article: Non-pharmacological treatments

[resonance]

Non-pharmacological treatments in the management of rapid cycling bipolar disorder

George N. Papadimitriou, Dimitris G. Dikeos, Constantin R. Soldatos and Joseph R. Calabrese

Journal of Affective Disorders, In Press

They review studies on the major non-pharmacological treatments of bipolar disorder, focusing on data involving rapid cycling.

The "results" paragraph from their abstract (RC = rapid cycling):

Regarding biological treatments, for electroconvulsive therapy and sleep deprivation, there exists some evidence that they might be efficacious in RC patients for acute treatment as well as for prophylaxis from recurrences. Light therapy has not been shown to be efficacious in RC, while no published data exist for transcranial magnetic stimulation and vagus nerve stimulation. The non-biological treatments include psychotherapeutic and psychosocial interventions; these have not been tried particularly on RC patients, but their use should be expected to contribute to the overall management of the RC pattern as it does to that of mood disorder in general.

[null0trooper]

So they didn't find much in the way of published data on a treatment used for something else (light therapy for SAD),

a couple of newish alternatives to ECT (VNS, TMS), and they think that there may be something of value in psychology

(That part is worded like their students didn't look very hard for those papers). It's also slightly

bothersome that the researcher who HAS worked more with bipolar patients is the last author, not the lead.

But you've read the article - what did you get from it?

[AirMarshall]

Does it really take four people to do a literature survey?

Almost seems like credential padding.

a.m.

[resonance]

I actually haven't read it because I am super-busy with dissertation stuff this week. But I would like to read it. I saw the reference/abstract and thought people might be interested so I just posted that.

[Glen]

Choline.