Mitochondrial modulators in the treatment of bipolar depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the risk, pathophysiology, and progression of mood disorders, especially bipolar disorder (BD). Thus, the objective of this meta-analysis was to determine the overall antidepressant effect of mitochondrial modulators in the treatment of bipolar depression. Outcomes included improvement in depression scale scores, Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-S) score. Data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the antidepressant effect of diverse mitochondrial modulators were pooled to determine standard mean differences (SMDs) compared with placebo.13 RCTs were identified for qualitative review. The overall effect size of mitochondrial modulators on depressive symptoms was −0.48 (95% CI: −0.83 to −0.14, p = 0.007, I(2) = 75%), indicative of a statistically significant moderate antidepressant effect. In the subgroup analysis, NAC improved depressive symptoms compared with placebo (−0.88, 95% CI: −1.48 to −0.27, I(2) = 81%). In addition, there was no statistical difference between mitochondrial modulators and placebo in YMRS. Although mitochondrial modulators were superior to placebo in CGI-S score (−0.44, 95% CI: −0.83 to −0.06, I(2) = 71%), only EPA was superior to placebo in subgroup analysis. Overall, a moderate antidepressant effect was observed for mitochondrial modulators compared with placebo in the treatment of bipolar depression. The small number of studies, diversity of agents, and small sample sizes limited interpretation of the current analysis.