[Carbamazepine in the treatment of mania and prevention of recurrence of manic-depressive disorders].

Carbamacepine is an effective drug in the treatment of acute manic states as well as in preventing relapses in the course of manic-depressive illness. Many controlled studies show that carbamacepine is a valuable alternative and an implementation to the existing methods of treatment. Treatment of acute mania can be more rapid, more specific of carbamacepine is used or combined with neuroleptics (or occasionally with lithium). There are less side effects in carbamacepine treatment than in conventional treatment. In relapse prevention carbamacepine is probably as effective as in lithium. The essential progress of using carbamacepine is given, because more patients are eligible for a regime of relapse prevention: Patients that have proven resistant to lithium treatment and patients with contraindications to lithium. Carbamacepine treatment presents an important breakthrough in Rapid Cycling Affective Psychoses. Here it may be superior to all other methods of treatment.