Table 2

Treatment studies of bipolar disorder with co-occurring SUDs.

Treatment Study

Design

Treatment

Number of patients

SUD

Results

Geller et al. [28]

double-blind placebo-controlled

Lithium

12 bipolar I; 5 bipolar II

Alcohol or drug dependence

Improvement in affective and SUD symptoms

Salloum et al. [46]

double-blind placebo-controlled

Valproate (as adjunct to lithium)

59 bipolar I

Alcohol dependence

Improvement in SUD but not affective symptoms

Brown et al. [27]

Open-label

Aripiprazole

18 bipolar I; 1 bipolar II; 1 schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type

Alcohol or drug abuse or dependence

Improvement in affective and SUD symptoms

Brown et al. [45]

Open-label

Lamotrigine

22 bipolar I; 7 bipolar II; 1 bipolar NOS

Cocaine dependence

Improvement in affective and SUD symptoms

Brown et al. [26]

Open-label

Quetiapine

14 bipolar I; 3 bipolar II

Cocaine dependence

Improvement in affective symptoms but not SUD symptoms

Brown et al. [44]

Open-label

Naltrexone

34 bipolar (type?)

alcohol dependence

Improvement in affective and SUD symptoms

Drake et al. [47]

Open-label

Integrated dual disorder treatment

51 bipolar (type unspecified)

Alcohol or drug abuse or dependence

Improvement in SUD but not affective symptoms

Schmitz et al. [33]

Open-label

Cognitive therapy as an adjunct to medication

46 bipolar (type unspecified)

Alcohol or drug abuse or dependence

Improvement in affective symptoms but not SUD symptoms

Weiss et al. [34]

Open-label

Integrated group therapy

50 bipolar I; 10 bipolar II; 2 bipolar NOS

Alcohol or drug dependence

Improvement in SUD but not affective symptoms

Cerullo and Strakowski Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy 2007 2:29   doi:10.1186/1747-597X-2-29