Overview

Riluzole in the Treatment of Bipolar Depression

Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2009-07-01
Target enrollment:
0
Participant gender:
All
Summary
Bipolar disorder is a common and often chronic and debilitating mental illness. The depressive phase of bipolar disorder contributes the largest portion of the disorder, and treatment resistant bipolar depression represents a significant public health problem. Recent research has suggested that bipolar depression is associated with elevated brain glutamate activity. We hypothesize that riluzole, a drug approved for ALS which inhibits glutamate activity, will lead to clinical improvement in patients with bipolar depression.
Phase:
N/A
Accepts Healthy Volunteers?
No
Details
Lead Sponsor:
Mclean Hospital
Treatments:
Riluzole
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

- Male or female age 18-65

- Meets DSM-IV criteria for Bipolar Disorder and is currently depressed

- Current score of >/= 18 on the Hamilton Depression Scale

Exclusion Criteria:

- Active psychotic/manic symptoms

- Lifetime history of schizophrenia or obsessive compulsive disorder

- Clinically significant medical disease

- Women who are pregnant or lactating and women who are not using a medically accepted
method of contraception.