Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci.  2013 Aug;11(2):72-79.

Comparison of Aripiprazole and Other Atypical Antipsychotics for Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: A Retrospective Chart Review of Efficacy and Tolerability

• Oh J
• Chang JG
• Lee SB
• Song DH
• Cheon KA

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
This study compared the efficacy and tolerability of aripiprazole with that of other atypical antipsychotics by examining patients with pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) at a child and adolescent psychiatric clinic in a university hospital in Korea.
METHODS
We reviewed the medical records of 127 pediatric patients with bipolar disorder aged 4-18 years treated at Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric, Yonsei University Severance Hospital between January 2010 and October 2011 to collect demographic and clinical data. Using the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scales, we evaluated levels of severity of and improvements in symptoms at the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth hospital visits.
RESULTS
The mean age of patients was 12.29+/-3.47 years. The sample included 91 (71.7%) male and 36 (28.3%) female patients. Aripiprazole was prescribed to 62 (48.8%) patients, risperidone to 52 (40.9%), quetiapine to 11 (8.7%), and paliperidone to two (1.6%). Patients treated with aripiprazole had lower CGI-Severity (CGI-S) scores than did patients treated with other atypical antipsychotics at the second and third visits. The CGI-Improvement (CGI-I) scores of patients treated with aripiprazole were lower at the second visit. Treatment with atypical antipsychotics was well tolerated, and no serious or fatal side effects were observed.
CONCLUSION
The present retrospective chart review suggests that atypical antipsychotics may be effective and safe for the treatment of patients with PBD. In particular, treatment with aripiprazole may be more effective than treatment with other atypical antipsychotics in the early phase. These results should be verified in future multi-center controlled studies.

Keyword

Bipolar disorder; Child psychiatry; Antipsychotic agents; Aripiprazole

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Aged
Antipsychotic Agents
Bipolar Disorder
Child
Child Psychiatry
Dibenzothiazepines
Female
Humans
Isoxazoles
Male
Medical Records
Piperazines
Pyrimidines
Quinolones
Retrospective Studies
Risperidone
Weights and Measures
Aripiprazole
Quetiapine Fumarate
Antipsychotic Agents
Dibenzothiazepines
Isoxazoles
Piperazines
Pyrimidines
Quinolones
Risperidone