Divalproex Extended Release and Placebo, Lithium, or Quetiapine for Mania

Mania is a serious condition characterized by extreme excitement, mental and physical hyperactivity, insomnia, and disconnected thoughts. Symptoms of mania are common in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. When associated with these conditions, mania reaches psychotic proportions and often includes hallucinations, paranoia, and feelings of omnipotence. Such symptoms may put individuals with mania and those around them at risk for physical harm. Drug therapies that can safely and effectively treat symptoms of mania are needed. This study will compare three drug combinations in their ability to treat symptoms of mania in people with schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder.

This study will comprise a 12-week acute phase and a 14-week continuation phase. While the acute phase is the primary component of this study, the continuation phase will provide extended data on the characteristics and course of responders to the initial treatment combinations. Results from the continuation phase will be reported elsewhere. In the acute phase, participants will be randomly assigned to receive one of three treatments: divalproex-extended release (DV-ER) and lithium, DV-ER and quetiapine, or DV-ER and placebo. Participants will receive their intervention for 12 weeks. Participants will have weekly study visits for the first 4 weeks of the acute phase; biweekly study visits will occur for the following 8 weeks. After the acute phase, participants who have not responded to their drug regimen will complete their participation in the study.

Participants whose symptoms of mania have decreased will be offered enrollment in the 14-week continuation phase, during which time participants will continue the drug regimen they began in the acute phase. Participants will have biweekly study visits in the continuation phase. During each study visit in both phases, participants will be interviewed about their mania symptoms. Mania, depression, quality of life, and overall functioning scales will assess participants at study entry, at the end of the acute phase, and at the end of the continuation phase. Participants over 50 years of age will have an electrocardiogram (EKG) at study entry to determine cardiac function.