Study of Divalproex Extended Release Monotherapy in Ambulatory Bipolar Spectrum Disorder With Moderate-to-Severe Hypomania or Mild Mania

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Subjects must be 18 years of age or older.
2. Subjects must have bipolar I, II, or NOS disorder as defined by DSM-IV-TR. (Bipolar NOS will include hypomania defined as in DSM-IV-TR, as well as "brief" hypomania-hypomania occurring for a duration of > 1 day but < 4 days - and antidepressant associated hypomania and mania).
3. Subjects must have moderate-to-severe hypomania or mild mania within the past 2 weeks, defined as having a YMRS >10 and < 21 at the baseline assessment.
4. Subjects' overall bipolar symptoms must be clinically significant but not greater than severe (defined as a CGI-BP >2 and < 5).
5. Subjects must be outpatients.
6. Subjects must be on no psychotropics for 1 week (2 weeks for fluoxetine and 4 weeks for depot antipsychotics) except for prn lorazepam (.5-2mg/day) or zaleplon (5-10mg qhs).
7. Subjects or their legally authorized representative must sign the Informed Consent Document after the nature of the trial has been fully explained.
8. If female, subjects must be: postmenopausal, surgically incapable of childbearing, or practicing medically acceptable effective method(s) of contraception (e.g., hormonal methods, intrauterine device) for at least one month prior to study entry and throughout the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Subjects who do not have bipolar disorder by above DSM-IV-TR criteria.
2. Subjects whose bipolar symptoms are more than severely ill (CGI-BP > 5, YMRS > 21, or IDS > 39).
3. Subjects who are receiving treatment with an antimanic or mood stabilizing medication (lithium, valproate, or an antipsychotic), and in the investigators' judgment, require ongoing treatment with that medication.
4. Subjects who require hospitalization.
5. Subjects with clinically significant suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, or psychotic features.
6. Subjects with current DSM-IV Axis I diagnosis of delirium, dementia, amnesia, or other cognitive disorders or a lifetime psychotic disorder (e.g., schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder).
7. Subjects with DSM-IV Axis I substance dependence within the past 3 months (except for nicotine dependence).
8. Subjects with serious general medical illnesses including hepatic, renal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, neurologic, or hematologic disease as determined by the clinical judgment of the clinical investigator. Subjects with hypo- or hyperthyroidism unless stabilized on thyroid replacement > 3 months.
9. Subjects who are allergic to or who have demonstrated hypersensitivity to any valproate or divalproex preparation.
10. Women who are pregnant or nursing.
11. Subjects who have received an experimental drug or used an experimental device within 30 days.