A mood stabilizer is a

psychiatric medication A psychiatric or psychotropic medication is a psychoactive drug taken to exert an effect on the chemical makeup of the brain and nervous system. Thus, these medications are used to treat mental illnesses. These medications are typically made of ...

used to treat

mood disorder A mood disorder, also known as an affective disorder, is any of a group of conditions of mental and behavioral disorder where the main underlying characteristic is a disturbance in the person's mood. The classification is in the ''Diagnostic ...

s characterized by intense and sustained mood shifts, such as

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...

and the bipolar type of schizoaffective disorder.

Uses

Mood stabilizers are best known for the treatment of

, preventing mood shifts to

mania Mania, also known as manic syndrome, is a Psychiatry, psychiatric Abnormality (behavior), behavioral syndrome defined as a state of Abnormality (behavior), abnormally elevated arousal, affect (psychology), affect, and energy level. During a mani ...

(or

hypomania Hypomania (literally "under mania" or "less than mania") is a Psychiatry, psychiatric Abnormality (behavior), behavioral syndrome characterized essentially by an apparently non-contextual elevation of Mood (psychology), mood (i.e., euphoria) th ...

) and depression. Mood stabilizers are also used in schizoaffective disorder when it is the bipolar type.

Examples

The term "mood stabilizer" does not describe a mechanism, but rather an effect. More precise terminology based on pharmacology is used to further classify these agents. Drugs commonly classed as mood stabilizers include:

Mineral

;

Lithium Lithium (from , , ) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard temperature and pressure, standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the ...

: Lithium is the "classic" mood stabilizer, the first to be approved by the US FDA, and still popular in treatment. Therapeutic drug monitoring is required to ensure lithium levels remain in the therapeutic range: 0.6 to 0.8 or 0.8–1.2 mEq/L (or millimolar). Signs and symptoms of toxicity include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and

ataxia Ataxia (from Greek α- negative prefix+ -τάξις rder= "lack of order") is a neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements that can include gait abnormality, speech changes, and abnormalities in e ...

. The most common side effects are lethargy and weight gain (up to ). The less common side effects of using lithium are blurred vision, a slight tremble in the hands, and a feeling of being mildly ill. In general, these side effects occur in the first few weeks after commencing lithium treatment. These symptoms can often be improved by lowering the dose.

Anticonvulsants

Many agents described as "mood stabilizers" are also categorized as

anticonvulsants Anticonvulsants (also known as antiepileptic drugs, antiseizure drugs, or anti-seizure medications (ASM)) are a diverse group of pharmacological agents used in the treatment of epileptic seizures. Anticonvulsants are also used in the treatment ...

. The term "anticonvulsant mood stabilizers" is sometimes used to describe these as a class. Although this group is also defined by effect rather than mechanism, there is at least a preliminary understanding of the mechanism of most of the anticonvulsants used in the treatment of mood disorders. ; Valproate : Available in extended release form. This drug can be very irritating to the stomach, especially when taken as a free acid. Liver function and

CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...

should be monitored. Common side effects include sleepiness, nausea, dry mouth. More serious side effects include liver dysfunction, pancreatitis and

polycystic ovary syndrome Polycystic ovary syndrome, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. The name is a misnomer, as not all women with this condition develop cysts on their ovaries. The name origin ...

. Weight gain is possible. ; Lamotrigine (aka Lamictal) : FDA approved for bipolar disorder maintenance therapy, not for acute mood problems like depression or mania/hypomania. The usual target dose is 100–200 mg daily, titrated to by 25 mg increments every 2 weeks. Lamotrigine can cause

Stevens–Johnson syndrome Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS) is a type of severe skin reaction. Together with toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and #Classification, Stevens–Johnson/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) overlap, they are considered febrile mucocutaneous d ...

, a very rare but potentially fatal skin condition. ; Carbamazepine : FDA approved for the treatment of acute manic or mixed (i.e., both depressed and manic mood features) episodes in people with bipolar disorder type I. Carbamazepine can rarely cause a dangerous decrease in neutrophils, a type of

white blood cell White blood cells (scientific name leukocytes), also called immune cells or immunocytes, are cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign entities. White blood cells are genera ...

, called

agranulocytosis Agranulocytosis, also known as agranulosis or granulopenia, is an acute condition involving a severe and dangerous lowered white blood cell count (leukopenia, most commonly of neutrophils) and thus causing neutropenia in the circulating blood. I ...

. It interacts with many medications, including other mood stabilizers (e.g. lamotrigine) and antipsychotics (e.g. quetiapine). It is considered second-line for bipolar disorder due to its side effects. There is insufficient evidence to support the use of various other anticonvulsants, such as gabapentin and topiramate, as mood stabilizers.

Antipsychotics

Some atypical antipsychotics (

aripiprazole Aripiprazole, sold under the brand name Abilify, among others, is an atypical antipsychotic primarily used in the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and irritability associated with autism spectrum disorder; other uses include as ...

, asenapine, cariprazine, lurasidone, olanzapine, paliperidone, quetiapine,

risperidone Risperidone, sold under the brand name Risperdal among others, is an atypical antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as aggressive and self-injurious behaviors associated with autism spectrum disorder. It is t ...

, and ziprasidone) also have mood stabilizing effects and are thus commonly prescribed even when psychotic symptoms are absent.

Other

; Omega-3 fatty acids : It is also conjectured that

omega-3 fatty acid Omega−3 fatty acids, also called omega−3 oils, ω−3 fatty acids or ''n''−3 fatty acids, are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) characterized by the presence of a double bond three atoms away from the terminal methyl group in their ...

s may have a mood stabilizing effect. Compared with placebo, omega-3 fatty acids appear better able to augment known mood stabilizers in reducing depressive (but perhaps not manic) symptoms of bipolar disorder; additional trials would be needed to establish the effects of omega-3 fatty acids alone. ; Levothyroxine : It is known that even subclinical

hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism is an endocrine disease in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones. It can cause a number of symptoms, such as cold intolerance, poor ability to tolerate cold, fatigue, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, co ...

can blunt a patient's response to both mood stabilizers and antidepressants. Furthermore, preliminary research into the use of thyroid augmentation in patients with refractory and rapid-cycling bipolar disorder has been positive, showing a slowing in cycle frequency and reduction in symptoms. Most studies have been conducted on an open-label basis. One large, controlled study of 300 mcg daily dose of levothyroxine (T₄) found it superior to placebo for this purpose. In general, studies have shown T4 to be well tolerated and to show efficacy even in patients without overt hypothyroidism. Hypothyrodism is common among bipolar patients regardless of the mood stabilizer used.

Combination therapy

In routine practice, monotherapy is often not sufficiently effective for acute and/or maintenance therapy and thus most patients are given combination therapies. Combination therapy (atypical antipsychotic with lithium or valproate) shows better efficacy over monotherapy in the manic phase in terms of efficacy and prevention of relapse. However, side effects are more frequent and discontinuation rates due to adverse events are higher with combination therapy than with monotherapy.

Relationship to antidepressants

Most mood stabilizers are primarily antimanic agents, meaning that they are effective at treating

and mood cycling and shifting, but are not effective at treating acute depression. The principal exceptions to that rule, because they treat both manic and depressive symptoms, are lamotrigine,

lithium carbonate Lithium carbonate is an inorganic compound, the lithium salt of carbonic acid with the chemical formula, formula . This white Salt (chemistry), salt is widely used in processing metal oxides. It is on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, Wor ...

, olanzapine and quetiapine. There is a need for caution when treating bipolar patients with antidepressant medication due to the risks that they pose. Nevertheless,

antidepressants Antidepressants are a class of medications used to treat major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, chronic pain, and addiction. Common side effects of antidepressants include dry mouth, weight gain, dizziness, headaches, akathisia, sexu ...

are still often prescribed in addition to mood stabilizers during depressive phases. This brings some risks, however, as antidepressants can induce

(increases risk by 34%),

psychosis In psychopathology, psychosis is a condition in which a person is unable to distinguish, in their experience of life, between what is and is not real. Examples of psychotic symptoms are delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized or inco ...

(relative risk not reported), cycle acceleration, and other disturbing problems in people with

—in particular, when taken alone. The risk of antidepressant-induced mania when given to patients concomitantly on antimanic agents is not known for certain but may still exist.Amit BH, Weizman A. Antidepressant Treatment for Acute Bipolar Depression: An Update. Depression Research and Treatment nternet 2012 ited 2013 Jul 182012:1–10. Available from: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/drt/2012/684725/ SSRIs and bupropion appear to have lower chances of switching, while SNRIs and tricyclics are more likely to cause switching. A single large, population based study reports that the manic "switch" risk is not increased over regular mood stabilizer treatment when an antidepressant is combined with a mood stabilizer. When an antidepressant is used alone, the risk is about 3 times the regular value. Gitlin (2018) notes that "the potential issue of worsening suicidality in adolescents and young adults treated with antidepressants ..both controversial and infrequently seen." Equally critical is the question of whether adding antidepressant has any effect on bipolar depression. High-quality data is lacking in this field, and simply using different analytical approaches can lead to different conclusions. It's also possible that the effect depends on the mood stabilizer used: one study finds no effect when antidepressant is added to lithium or valporate, but some efficacy when it's added to atypical antipsychotics.

Pharmacodynamics

As mentioned above, "mood stabilizers" do not have a unified mechanism of action; the term simply describes how these drugs can be used. The precise mechanism of action of lithium is still unknown, and it is suspected that it acts at various points of the neuron between the nucleus and the synapse. Lithium is known to inhibit the enzyme GSK-3B. This improves the functioning of the

circadian clock A circadian clock, or circadian oscillator, also known as one’s internal alarm clock is a biochemical oscillator that cycles with a stable phase and is synchronized with solar time. Such a clock's ''in vivo'' period is necessarily almost exact ...

—which is thought to be often malfunctioning in people with bipolar disorder—and positively modulates gene transcription of

brain-derived neurotrophic factor Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), or abrineurin, is a protein found in the and the periphery. that, in humans, is encoded by the ''BDNF'' gene. BDNF is a member of the neurotrophin family of growth factors, which are related to the can ...

(BDNF). The resulting increase in neural plasticity may be central to lithium's therapeutic effects. How lithium works in the human body is not completely understood, but its benefits are most likely related to its effects on electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium. Lithium is, broadly speaking, neuroprotective. The classical theory of valporate's action involves affecting

GABA GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid, γ-aminobutyric acid) is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the developmentally mature mammalian central nervous system. Its principal role is reducing neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system. GA ...

levels and blocking

voltage-gated sodium channel Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs), also known as voltage-dependent sodium channels (VDSCs), are a group of voltage-gated ion channels found in the membrane of excitable cells (''e.g.'', muscle, glial cells, neurons, etc.) with a permeability t ...

s (which would affect the brain's glutamate system). It has since been found to have many other cellular effects, such as inhibiting histone deacetylases and increasing LEF1. It is also neuroprotective. Carbamazepine is mainly a sodium channel blocker, though it too has other activities. Lamotrigine is a similar case. One possible downstream target of several mood stabilizers such as lithium, valproate, and carbamazepine is the arachidonic acid cascade.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mood Stabilizer Drug classes defined by psychological effects