Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-18T09:58:58.026Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

In search of optimal lithium levels and olanzapine doses in the long-term treatment of bipolar I disorder. A post-hoc analysis of the maintenance study by Tohen et al. 2005

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

W.E. Severus*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336Munich, Germany
I.A. Lipkovich
Affiliation:
Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana46285, USA
R.W. Licht
Affiliation:
Mood Disorders Unit, Aarhus University Psychiatric Hospital, Skovagervej 2, 8240, Risskov, Denmark
A.H. Young
Affiliation:
Institute of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Suite 430, 5950 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
W. Greil
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336Munich, Germany
T. Ketter
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401, Quarry Road, Room 2124, Stanford, CA 94305-5723, USA
W. Deberdt
Affiliation:
Eli Lilly Benelux, Stoofstraat 52, 1000Brussels, Belgium
M. Tohen
Affiliation:
Division of Mood and Anxiety Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center, 7703, Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
*
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +0049 89 5160 5511; fax: +0049 89 5160 5809. E-mail address: [email protected] (W.E. Severus).
Get access

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate whether lower lithium levels (LoLi) or olanzapine doses (LoOL) are risk factors for future mood episodes in patients with bipolar I disorder.

Methods

A post-hoc analysis of the olanzapine-lithium-maintenance study [31] was performed using proportional hazards Cox regression models and marginal structural models (MSMs), adjusting for non-random assignments of dose during treatment.

Results

The LoLi group (< 0.6 mmol/L) had a significantly increased risk of manic/mixed (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.96, p = 0.042), but not depressive (HR = 2.11, p = 0.272) episodes, compared to the combined medium (0.6–0.79 mmol/L) and high lithium level (≥ 0.8 mmol/L) groups. There was no significant difference in risk between the two higher lithium level groups (0.6-0.79 mmol/L; ≥ 0.8 mmol/L) for new manic/mixed (HR = 0.96, p = 0.893) or depressive (HR = 0.95, p = 0.922) episodes. The LoOL group (< 10 mg/day) showed a significantly increased risk of depressive (HR = 2.24, p = 0.025) episodes compared to the higher olanzapine (HiOL) dose group (HiOL: 10–20 mg/day), while there was no statistically significant difference in risk for manic/mixed episodes between the two groups (HR = 0.94, p = 0.895).

Conclusion

Lithium levels ≥ 0.6 mmol/L and olanzapine doses ≥ 10 mg/day may be necessary for optimal protection against manic/mixed or depressive episodes, respectively in patients with bipolar I disorder.

Type
Bipolar Disorder
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier Masson SAS 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American psychiatric association. American psychiatric association practice guidelines for the treatment of patients with bipolar disorder, 2 ed., Washington, DC 2002.Google Scholar
Beasley, CM Jr., Sanger, T, Satterlee, Wet al.Olanzapine versus placebo: results of a double-blind, fixed-dose olanzapine trial. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1996; 124: 159167.10.1007/BF02245617CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bowden, CL, Calabrese, JR, Sachs, Get al.A placebo-controlled 18-month trial of lamotrigine and lithium maintenance treatment in recently manic or hypomanic patients with bipolar I disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2003; 60: 392400.10.1001/archpsyc.60.4.392CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Calabrese, JR, Bowden, CL, Sachs, Get al.A placebo-controlled 18-month trial of lamotrigine and lithium maintenance treatment in recently depressed patients with bipolar I disorder. J Clin Psychiatry 2003; 64: 10131024.10.4088/JCP.v64n0906CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Calabrese, JR, Vieta, E, El-Mallakh, Ret al.Mood state at study entry as predictor of the polarity of relapse in bipolar disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2004; 56: 957963.10.1016/j.biopsych.2004.09.022CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carrillo, JA, Herraiz, AG, Ramos, SIet al.Role of the smoking-induced cytochrome P450 (CYP)1A2 and polymorphic CYP2D6 in steady-state concentration of olanzapine. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2003; 23: 119127.10.1097/00004714-200304000-00003CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coppen, A, Abou-Saleh, M, Milln, P, Bailey, J, Wood, KDecreasing lithium dosage reduces morbidity and side-effects during prophylaxis. J Affect Disord 1983; 5: 353362.10.1016/0165-0327(83)90026-5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Geddes, JR, Burgess, S, Hawton, K, Jamison, K, Goodwin, GMLong-term lithium therapy for bipolar disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Psychiatry 2004; 161: 217222.10.1176/appi.ajp.161.2.217CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gelenberg, AJ, Kane, JM, Keller, MBet al.Comparison of standard and low serum levels of lithium for maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. N Engl J Med 1989; 321: 14891493.10.1056/NEJM198911303212201CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gex-Fabry, M, Balant-Gorgia, AE, Balant, LPTherapeutic drug monitoring of olanzapine: the combined effect of age, gender, smoking, and comedication. Ther Drug Monit 2003; 25: 4653.10.1097/00007691-200302000-00007CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goodwin, GMEvidence-based guidelines for treating bipolar disorder: recommendations from the British association for psychopharmacology. J Psychopharmacol 2003; 17: 149173.10.1177/0269881103017002003CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grunze, H, Kasper, S, Goodwin, G, Bowden, C, Moller, HJThe World federation of societies of biological psychiatry (WFSBP) guidelines for the biological treatment of bipolar disorders, part III: maintenance treatment. World J Biol Psychiatry 2004; 5: 120135.10.1080/15622970410029924CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hernan, MA, Brumback, B, Robins, JMMarginal structural models to estimate the causal effect of zidovudine on the survival of HIV-positive men. Epidemiology 2000; 11: 561570.10.1097/00001648-200009000-00012CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hernan, MA, Brumback, B, Robins, JMMarginal structural models to estimate the joint causal effect of nonrandomized treatments, 2001.10.1198/016214501753168154CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hernan, MA, Brumback, BA, Robins, JMEstimating the causal effect of zidovudine on CD4 count with a marginal structural model for repeated measures. Stat Med 2002; 21: 16891709.10.1002/sim.1144CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Himmelhoch, JM, Neil, JFLithium therapy in combination with other forms of treatmentJohnson, F, Handbook of Lithium Therapy Lancaster, UK: MTP Press Limited; 1980. 5167.10.1007/978-94-011-7197-7_7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
International conference on harmonisation of technical requirements for the registration of pharmaceuticals for human use. ICH harmonised tripartite guideline. Dose-response information to support drug registration. E4., 1994.Google Scholar
Jerram, TC, McDonald, RPlasma lithium control with particular reference to minimum effective plasma levelsJohnson, FN, Johnson, SLithium in medical practice Lancaster: MTP Press; 1978. 407413.Google Scholar
Kinon, BJ, Lipkovich, I, Edwards, SBet al.A 24-week randomized study of olanzapine versus ziprasidone in the treatment of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder in patients with prominent depressive symptoms. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2006; 26: 157162.10.1097/01.jcp.0000204137.82298.06CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kukopoulos, A, Minnai, G, Muller-Oerlinghausen, BThe influence of mania and depression on the pharmacokinetics of lithium. A longitudinal single-case study. J Affect Disord 1985; 8: 159166.10.1016/0165-0327(85)90039-4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lipkovich, I, Adams, DH, Mallinckrodt, Cet al.Evaluating dose response from flexible dose clinical trials. BMC Psychiatry 2008; 8(3):3.10.1186/1471-244X-8-3CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lipkovich, I, Deberdt, W, Csernansky, JGet al.Predictors of risk for relapse in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder during olanzapine drug therapy. J Psychiatr Res 2007; 41: 305310.10.1016/j.jpsychires.2006.07.016CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maj, M, Starace, F, Nolfe, G, Kemali, DMinimum plasma lithium levels required for effective prophylaxis in DSM III bipolar disorder: a prospective study. Pharmacopsychiatry 1986; 19: 420423.10.1055/s-2007-1017280CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National institute for health and clinical excellence. The management of bipolar disorder in adults, children and adolescents, in primary and secondary care, 2006.Google Scholar
Novick, D, Deberdt, W, Haro, JM, et al., Effectiveness of different doses of olanzapine in outpatients with schizophrenia: 36-month results from the schizophrenia outpatients health outcomes (SOHO) study, 2006.10.1016/S0920-9964(06)70393-0Google Scholar
Robins, JM, Hernan, MA, Brumback, BMarginal structural models and causal inference in epidemiology. Epidemiology 2000; 11: 550560.10.1097/00001648-200009000-00011CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Severus, WE, Kleindienst, N, Seemuller, Fet al.What is the optimal serum lithium level in the long-term treatment of bipolar disorder – a review?. Bipolar Disord 2008; 10: 231237.10.1111/j.1399-5618.2007.00475.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, LA, Cornelius, V, Warnock, A, Bell, A, Young, AHEffectiveness of mood stabilizers and antipsychotics in the maintenance phase of bipolar disorder: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Bipolar Disord 2007; 9: 394412.10.1111/j.1399-5618.2007.00490.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Suarez, D, Haro, JM, Novick, D, Ochoa, SMarginal structural models might overcome confounding when analyzing multiple treatment effects in observational studies. J Clin Epidemiol 2008; 61: 525530.10.1016/j.jclinepi.2007.11.007CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tohen, M, Calabrese, JR, Sachs, GSet al.Randomized, placebo-controlled trial of olanzapine as maintenance therapy in patients with bipolar I disorder responding to acute treatment with olanzapine. Am J Psychiatry 2006; 163: 247256.10.1176/appi.ajp.163.2.247CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tohen, M, Greil, W, Calabrese, JRet al.Olanzapine versus lithium in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder: a 12-month, randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. Am J Psychiatry 2005; 162: 12811290.10.1176/appi.ajp.162.7.1281CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Waters, B, Lapierre, Y, Gagnon, Aet al.Determination of the optimal concentration of lithium for the prophylaxis of manic-depressive disorder. Biol Psychiatry 1982; 17: 13231329.Google ScholarPubMed
Weiss, U, Marksteiner, J, Kemmler, G, Saria, A, Aichhorn, WEffects of age and sex on olanzapine plasma concentrations. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2005; 25: 570574.10.1097/01.jcp.0000185427.08268.dbCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yatham, LN, Kennedy, SH, Schaffer, Aet al.Canadian network for mood and anxiety treatments (CANMAT) and International society for bipolar disorders (ISBD) collaborative update of CANMAT guidelines for the management of patients with bipolar disorder: update 2009. Bipolar Disord 2009; 11: 225255.10.1111/j.1399-5618.2009.00672.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: File

Severus et al. supplementary material

Supplementary materials

Download Severus et al. supplementary material(File)
File 180.2 KB
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.