Sovner R
Lutheran Center for Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Watertown, Mass.
J Clin Psychiatry. 1989 Mar;50 Suppl:40-3.
The author reports five cases of bipolar disorder in mentally retarded adults that were managed by treating the patients with divalproex sodium, a valproate derivative. Two patients had chronic mania (one of whom had Fragile X syndrome), two patients had rapid cycling illness (one of whom had an autistic disorder), and one patient had a classic bipolar disorder superimposed on an autistic disorder. Four of the patients had marked responses to valproate and the fifth patient had a moderate response. Valproate blood levels were within the usual therapeutic range of 50 micrograms/mL to 100 micrograms/mL. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of valproate in the treatment of mentally retarded patients with typical and atypical bipolar disorders.
