Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39964358›Full record

ReviewThe international journal of neuropsychopharmacology2025

Antidepressants in the treatment of bipolar depression: commentary.

Gustavo H Vázquez, Ross J Baldessarini

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Differentiating Between Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Gustavo H VázquezInternational Consortium for Mood & Psychotic Disorders Research, Mailman Research Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-2918-3336
Ross J BaldessariniInternational Consortium for Mood & Psychotic Disorders Research, Mailman Research Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States.

Funding

Bruce J. Anderson FoundationMcLean Private Donors Psychiatry Research
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDepression is a therapeutic challenge with bipolar disorder (BD) patients and remains a major contributor to disability, comorbidity, and premature mortality. The efficacy and safety of antidepressants (ADs) for this indication remain particularly controversial, and optimally safe and effective treatment of bipolar (BP) depression remains uncertain.

methodWe summarized selected research findings on the treatment of depression in BD aimed at supporting practical guidelines for clinical treatment involving ADs.

resultsGrowing research evidence indicates that ADs are probably effective in BP depression and possibly not less than in major depressive disorder. Tolerability of antidepressant (AD) treatment is greater with type II BD (BD-2) than with type I (BD-1), particularly when ADs are combined with a mood stabilizer or antipsychotic. For BP depression, preferred ADs are serotonin-reuptake inhibitors and bupropion given in moderate doses for limited times.

conclusionsOptimal treatment of depression requires further investigation, particularly for long-term maintenance. Nevertheless, treatment for acute depressive episodes can usefully and safely include some ADs in moderate doses for limited duration, best combined with lithium, some anticonvulsants, or certain atypical antipsychotics, and more safely with BD-2 than BD-1 with close clinical supervision.

Indexed as

Antidepressive AgentsBipolar DisorderAntipsychotic AgentsDrug Therapy, CombinationHumansTreatment OutcomeAntidepressive AgentsAntipsychotic Agentsantidepressantsantipsychoticsbipolar disorderdepressionmajor depressive disordermood stabilizers

Identifiers

PMID39964358
PMCPMC11929952

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.