Oxcarbazepine treatment of refractory bipolar disorder: a retrospective chart review

Objective: To determine if oxcarbazepine is effective as treatment for refractory bipolar illness in a naturalistic setting. Methods: All charts of out-patients treated with oxcarbazepine (n = 13) were reviewed and clinical response assessed retrospectively using the Clinical Global Impression of Improvement (CGI-I) rating scale. All patients had failed treatment with at least one previous mood stabilizer. Results: Mild improvement was seen in 46% (n = 6) and moderate improvement in 16% (n = 2). Fifty-four percent (n = 7) of the total sample discontinued treatment because of adverse effects. Conclusion: Oxcarbazepine may possess mild to moderate mood-stabilizing properties in this refractory, mostly depressed, bipolar sample. This naturalistic study is limited by its uncontrolled nature.