The MRTF was completed at every visit for 482 adult patients in Bipolar CHOICE, a 6-month randomized comparative effectiveness trial.
Responders had significantly fewer NCAs compared to non-responders. NCAs predicted subsequent response status such that every additional NCA during the previous visit decreased a patient's odds of response by approximately 30%. Patients with more severe symptoms had a greater number of NCAs at the subsequent visit. Patients with a comorbid anxiety disorder demonstrated a significantly higher rate of NCAs per month than those without a comorbid anxiety disorder. Patients with greater frequency, intensity, and interference of side effects had higher rates of NCAs. Participants with fewer NCAs reported a higher quality of life and decreased functional impairment.
The MRTF has not been examined in community clinic settings and did not predict response more efficiently than the Clinical Global Impression-Bipolar Version (CGI-BP).
The MRTF is a feasible proxy of clinical outcome, with implications for clinical training and decision-making. Analyses of big data could use changes in medications as a surrogate outcome measure.