LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

bipolar disorder

Valproic acid, valproate and divalproex in maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder – (05-20-03)

by

Valproic acid, valproate and divalproex in maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder

This is a review done by the Cochrane Collaboration, a group I would NOT want to argue with about their conclusions. Basically, the new “major psychoactive drug of the week” has very little evidence behind its increasing use. But hey, just because it is not as effective and costs multiples more with much more severe side effects (you know…weight gain, death from liver failure…) does not mean we shouldn’t use it…

Valproic acid, valproate and divalproex in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder (Cochrane Review)

Read entire article here

Prevention by lithium treatment – (03-22-04)

by

Stress-induced structural remodeling in hippocampus: Prevention by lithium treatment

I thought this article was very interesting considering how much our approach to psychiatric disorders have shifted away from the simple approaches to a much more complicated, drug ridden approach. Lithium was used for decades as a treatment for bipolar disorder but has now fallen out of favor and replaced with new drugs that affect the central nervous system. Interestingly, lithium was also used for many years as a treatment for diabetes because of its insulin sensitizing properties. Might this protection to the hippocampal region be mediated through its effects on insulin? Incidently, many of the side effects associated with lithium treatment come from using the carbonate form, which is less bioavailable than other forms of lithium.

PNAS — Abstracts: Wood et al. 101 (11): 3973 –

Read entire article here