Addressing methodological concerns in omega-3 trial for bipolar disorder relapse prevention

Halliru Zailani; Jane-Pei-Chen Chang; Wei-Che Chiu; Ching-Jui Chang; Kuan-Pin Su

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115947

Addressing methodological concerns in omega-3 trial for bipolar disorder relapse prevention

Psychiatry Res. 2024 May 3:337:115947. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115947. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Halliru Zailani¹, Jane-Pei-Chen Chang², Wei-Che Chiu³, Ching-Jui Chang⁴, Kuan-Pin Su⁵

Affiliations

¹ Mind-Body Interface Research Center (MBI-Lab), China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Nutrition, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
² Mind-Body Interface Research Center (MBI-Lab), China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
³ Department of Psychiatry, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: ccj061@gmail.com.
⁵ Mind-Body Interface Research Center (MBI-Lab), China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; An-Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan, Taiwan. Electronic address: cobolsu@gmail.com.

PMID: 38733931
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115947

Abstract

Our response addresses concerns raised about our pilot trial on omega-3 for bipolar disorder. We clarify randomization procedures, highlight the benefits of eicosapentaenoic-predominant formulations for a specific bipolar patients subgroup, and justify the use of Kaplan-Meier analysis despite limitations. We acknowledge analytical challenges due to strict inclusion criteria and encourage future research on specific bipolar subtypes and larger-scale trials for robust validation.

Publication types

Letter