| " (The New York Times News Service) -- Patients seeking treatment for bipolar disorder depression are as likely to get relief from sugar pills as they are from widely used antidepressants, according to a new study. " " The findings, which appear in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, are sure to confound therapy, researchers say. " " "Bipolar depression is notoriously difficult to treat," said David Miklowitz, professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Colorado-Boulder, and an investigator on the study. " " In the largest study of its kind, researchers at the University of Colorado and sites across the country gave patients Paxil, Wellbutrin or a sugar pill. " " During the study, all 366 participants took a mood stabilizer, which is commonly prescribed for those with bipolar disorder. " " Neither the patients nor the researchers knew whether they were taking one of the two antidepressants or a placebo. " " After 26 weeks, 24 percent of those taking antidepressants recovered from their depression and had no major symptoms for at least eight weeks. " " Among those who took a sugar pill, 27 percent stayed well for eight weeks or more. " " The study by Dr. Gary S. Sachs of Massachusetts General Hospital, is part of a seven-year, $26.8 million research project to examine the condition once known as manic-depressive illness. " " During the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, investigators at 22 sites across the country enrolled 4,361 participants. Researchers expect more results to be published soon. " " About 10
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