Mood-Stabilizing (Antimanic Drugs)

Question 1

For what is mood stabilising drugs used?

Answer 1

Used in treatment of bipolar disorders
(Maniac-depressive disorders)

Question 2

What is bipolar disorder?

Answer 2

●Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric disease which includes two phases:
manic and depressive.

●A manic phase is expressed by the elevated mood,
increased activity,
decreased need for sleep,
some psychotic symptoms (delusions, hallucinations).

●A depressive phase is similar to the symptoms of major depression.
These phases can appear without a particular order, their duration can be from several days to several months.

●The mechanism of the development of the symptoms of bipolar disorder is not studied enough, but it was observed,
that the manic phase is associated with the
increased influence of dopamine and norepinephrine on the CNS.

Question 3

Lithium Carbonate?

Answer 3

●The most known representative of the mood-stabilizing drugs used in bipolar disorder.
●It prevents
manic and depressive phases,

●relieves the symptoms of the manic phase.

Question 4

The mechanism of the action. (Lithium carbonate)

Answer 4

●The mechanism of the action of lithium carbonate is complicated,

▪︎it can involve:
》the replacement of Na+ leading to the inhibition of the formation of the action potential.
》the decreased generation of the secondary messengers inositol-triphosphate and diacylglycerol.

Question 5

Adverse effects of lithium carbonate?

Answer 5

●tremor,

●polyuria (due to antagonism for vasopressin),

●CNS disorders (confusion, dysarthria, ataxia, motor hyperactivity),

●the inhibition of the thyroid gland, gastrointestinal disorders.

Question 6

What drugs are used to reduce tremor induced by lithium carbonate?

Answer 6

●Reduced by adrenoblockers
▪︎propranolol
▪︎metoprolol

Question 7

Other drugs used in bipolar disorder?

Answer 7

●Other drugs used in bipolar disorder. ●Some of the drugs
(valproic acid,
carbamazepine,
and lamotrigine)
are also used in bipolar disorder.

●Valproic acid and carbamazepine, similarly to lithium carbonate,

●can relieve the symptoms of the
manic phase &
prevent both manic and depressive phases.

●Lamotrigine has an effect in the prevention of depressions in bipolar disorder. (For more information about these drugs see “Antiepileptic drugs”.)

●For the treatment of the symptoms of the manic phase, antipsychotic drugs are also administered,

whereas during the depressive phase antidepressants are used.