Extended test for bipolar drugs

Lithium chloride has long stood as the standard drug treatment for bipolar disorder. Other medications, such as the anticonvulsant valproate, also show promise in quelling the condition’s emotional ups and downs, at least in the short run.

A study that recruited bipolar patients from psychiatric clinics in the United States and Canada now offers a rare look at how lithium and valproate stack up against placebos over the long haul.