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Report of the Veterans Administration and National Institute of Mental Health Collaborative Study Group

Robert F. Prien, PhD; Eugene M. Caffey, Jr., MD; C. James Klett, PhD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1974;31(2):189-192.

Abstract
A multihospital collaborative study evaluated prophylactic lithium carbonate therapy in 205 patients with bipolar manic-depressive illness. Factors associated with poor lithium carbonate response are the following: (1) a recent history of frequent affective episodes requiring hospitalization, and (2) previous failure of lithium carbonate treatment. Results also suggest that lithium carbonate response may be related to the presence of schizo-affective illness and a family history of bipolar affective illness, but the small numbers of patients in these groups limit interpretation. Most failures on lithium carbonate therapy occur during the first year. Ability to remain on the maintenance schedule with no episodes for a year may be the most potent predictor of ultimate prophylactic success. There are important implications in these findings for the clinician selecting patients for prophylactic treatment.

Author Affiliations
From the Central Neuropsychiatric Research Laboratory, Veterans Administration Hospital, Perry Point, Md (Drs. Prien and Klett); and the Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Service, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Veterans Administration, Washington, DC (Dr. Caffey).

Footnotes
Accepted for publication March 29, 1974.

Reprint requests to Central Neuropsychiatric Research Laboratory, Veterans Administration Hospital, Perry Point, MD 21902 (Dr. Prien).

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