Topiramate and Sodium Valproate as Adjunctive Therapy to Lithium Carbonate in Treatment of Bipolar Disorder in Adolescents: A Randomized Clinical Trial

In this study the effect of topiramate as adjunctive therapy to lithium on mood disorder in adolescents is compared to that of sodium valproate. In a randomized clinical trial, 30 adolescents with bipolar mood disorder in the manic or mixed phase were treated with either topiramate or sodium valproate. All participants had either not responded adequately to a 4 to 6 week period of treatment with lithium carbonate, or had relapsed after a period of remission and needed additional mood-stabilizing drug. Responses were evaluated using Young Mania Rating Scale, Clinical Global Impression Scale and Children Global Assessment Scale. Many of the demographic properties of both groups were similar. In each group the mean of the decrease in symptoms and degree of remission were significant (p<0.001), but the comparison between the two groups did not yield a statistically significant difference. Both topiramate and sodium valproate can be effective in the treatment of adolescent bipolar mood disorder and there is probably no difference in their efficacy.