Risperidone in the treatment of mixed state bipolar patients: Results from a 24-week, multicenter, open-label study in Korea

Aims:  The goal of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of risperidone combined with mood stabilizers for treating bipolar mixed state.
Methods:  The present study was a 24-week, open-label, combination, prospective investigation of the efficacy of risperidone in combination with mood stabilizers. Risperidone (1–6 mg/day) was given in combination with mood stabilizers in flexible doses according to clinical response and tolerability for 114 patients in mixed or manic episode.
Results:  Forty-four patients met our criteria for mixed state bipolar disorder and 70 met the criteria for pure mania. Mean age for the subjects was 39.0 ± 11.0 years and 55.3% were female. The combination of risperidone with mood stabilizers significantly improved the scores on the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD), 18-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Global Assessment Scale (GAS), and Clinical Global Impression Scale for use in bipolar illness Severity (CGI-BP) at 24 weeks ( P  < 0.0001). Analysis of the YMRS, BPRS, GAS, and CGI-BP scores showed significant improvement in both the manic and mixed groups. The rate of response in YMRS scores was 84.2% ( n  = 96) and the rate of YMRS remission was 77.2% ( n  = 88) at week 24 in the total population. Seventy-four patients met both YMRS ≤ 12 and HAMD ≤ 7 at week 24 (64.9%). Risperidone was well tolerated, and adverse events were mostly mild.
Conclusion:  The combination of risperidone with mood stabilizers was an effective and safe treatment for manic symptoms and coexisting depressive symptoms of bipolar disorder.