A Comparison of Fluoxetine and Divalproex for the Treatment of Intermittent Explosive Disorder

Exclusion Criteria

• •Life history of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, organic mental syndrome, or mental retardation
• •Current major depressive disorder, with a Hamilton Depression (HAM-D) Scale score higher than 18
• •Current alcohol or drug abuse or dependence
• •Active medical conditions that will interfere with the study
• •Thymoleptic or neuroleptic treatments
• •Presence of the following serious and active medical conditions: demyelinating or progressive degenerative disorders; central nervous system infection; progressive degenerative neurological disorder; ischemic heart disease; respiratory, renal, or liver disease; Type I diabetes; malignant neoplasm; hyper- or hypo-coagulopathy; Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS); or seizure disorder. Participants with a history of more than two febrile seizures prior to 1 year of age are eligible.
• •Chronic, ongoing treatment with the following classes of medications: antidepressants, neuroleptics, mood stabilizers, antianxiety agents, hypnotics, narcotics or synthetic narcotics, barbiturates, stimulants, anti-migraine agents, anti-epileptics, non-beta-blocking or Ca-channel blocking anti-arrhythmic agents prescribed to treat cardiac arrhythmia, anticoagulants, immunomodulators, anti-neoplastic agents, or HIV antiviral agents
• •Ongoing psychotherapeutic treatment for the treatment of IED or anger that was started less than 3 months before study entry
• •Hypersensitivity to fluoxetine or divalproex
• •Pregnancy