A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Acetyl-L-Carnitine and α-Lipoic Acid in the Treatment of Bipolar Depression

摘要

BackgroundBipolar disorder may be associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Therefore, agents that enhance mitochondrial functioning may be efficacious in bipolar disorder. We performed a randomized placebo-controlled trial of the mitochondrial enhancers acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) and α-lipoic acid (ALA) in patients with bipolar depression, and assessed markers of cerebral energy metabolism using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy.