8508 Article Views
Publication Date: 01 Apr 2009
Journal: Clinical Medicine Insights: Psychiatry
Background: Bipolar disorder is a lifelong problem with imperfect available treatments. Recent research has shown potential benefit of nutritional treatment for mood symptoms. The goal of the current study was to determine whether adults with bipolar disorder reported treatment benefit from consuming a micronutrient formula.
Methods: Self-report data were available from 682 adults who reported a diagnosis of bipolar disorder; 81% were taking psychiatric medications. Those reporting additional diagnoses were excluded, as well as those who provided data 60 times during 180 days of using the micronutrients, leaving 358 for analysis.
Results: Mean symptom severity was 41% lower than baseline after 3 months (effect size = 0.78), and 45% lower after 6 months (effect size = 0.76) (both paired t-tests significant, p 0.001). In terms of responder status, 53% experienced 50% improvement at 6 months. Half the sample were taking medications approved for bipolar disorder (lithium, anticonvulsants, atypical antipsychotics), and half were either medication-free or taking other medications: the magnitude of treatment benefit did not differ between these two groups. Regression analyses indicated that decreased symptom severity over the 6 months was associated with increasing micronutrient dosage and with reducing medication. Symptom improvements were significant and sustained at 6 months, suggesting that benefits were not attributable to placebo/expectancy effects.
Conclusions: Further research on this micronutrient formula is warranted.
Discussion
Recently we published a paper describing cloning of a new kinase gene, MLK4, in Genomics Insights. I was impressed by the prompt processing and speed of publication. The comments from the reviewers allowed me to improve the paper significantly. The reviews were scientifically deep and objective, which is very valuable because in many journals decisions to publish or not to publish are very unfair and subjective. I highly recommend that other researchers publish their papers in Genomics Insights.Dr Eugene R. Zabarovsky (Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden) What Your Colleagues Say
Copyright © 2012 Libertas Academica Ltd (except open access articles and accompanying metadata and supplementary files.)
Posted by The Authors - 19:03,May 21, 2009
being based on self-report, it is important to keep in mind that *all*
clinical studies of mental health rely 100% on self-report. There are no
biomarkers of mental status that are reliable. Sometimes the self-report is
recorded by the patient; sometimes it is 'filtered' through a physician who
first asks the patient for self-report and then does the recording.
With respect to randomized controlled trials, none is yet completed on
this formula. For a list of the studies that *have* been completed, please
look at the reference list on the Gately and Kaplan paper.
”