Bipolar affective disorders: the specific features of the course and maintenance pharmacotherapy

Abstract

The paper reviews the literature on bipolar affective disorder (BAD). It considers the diagnosis, course, and treatment of BAD with emphasis on maintenance pharmacotherapy to prevent disease recurrence and to improve quality of life in patients. Major drug classes both used to prevent recurrent BAD and promising agents whose effect on the course of affective diseases is being just tested are viewed.

Keywords

• bipolar affective disorder
• psychopharmacotherapy
• classification
• maintenance therapy
• normothymics
• antipsychotics
• antidepressants