Skip to main content
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1993 Aug;56(8):925–928. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.56.8.925

Vigabatrin and depression.

H A Ring 1, R Crellin 1, S Kirker 1, E H Reynolds 1
PMCID: PMC1015155  PMID: 8350115

Abstract

Ten patients who developed a major depressive episode in association with vigabatrin treatment for intractable epilepsy are reported. The depression usually occurred early in the course of treatment, but when delayed followed a recent increase in dose. Depressive symptoms occurred at doses varying between 1.5 g and 4 g a day, often but not always when patients were experiencing a decrease in their seizure frequency. Most patients had a history of affective disturbance, sometimes in association with other GABAergic drugs. The observations support a possible role for GABAergic mechanisms in the biology of mood disorders.

Full text

PDF
925

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Gerner R. H., Hare T. A. CSF GABA in normal subjects and patients with depression, schizophrenia, mania, and anorexia nervosa. Am J Psychiatry. 1981 Aug;138(8):1098–1101. doi: 10.1176/ajp.138.8.1098. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Gold B. I., Bowers M. B., Jr, Roth R. H., Sweeney D. W. GABA levels in CSF of patients with psychiatric disorders. Am J Psychiatry. 1980 Mar;137(3):362–364. doi: 10.1176/ajp.137.3.362. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Kasa K., Otsuki S., Yamamoto M., Sato M., Kuroda H., Ogawa N. Cerebrospinal fluid gamma-aminobutyric acid and homovanillic acid in depressive disorders. Biol Psychiatry. 1982 Aug;17(8):877–883. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Lloyd K. G., Morselli P. L., Bartholini G. GABA and affective disorders. Med Biol. 1987;65(2-3):159–165. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Lydiard R. B., Laraia M. T., Ballenger J. C., Howell E. F. Emergence of depressive symptoms in patients receiving alprazolam for panic disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1987 May;144(5):664–665. doi: 10.1176/ajp.144.5.664. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Nurnberger J. I., Jr, Berrettini W. H., Simmons-Alling S., Guroff J. J., Gershon E. S. Intravenous GABA administration is anxiogenic in man. Psychiatry Res. 1986 Oct;19(2):113–117. doi: 10.1016/0165-1781(86)90004-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Perry T. L., Kish S. J., Hansen S. gamma-Vinyl GABA: effects of chronic administration on the metabolism of GABA and other amino compounds in rat brain. J Neurochem. 1979 Jun;32(6):1641–1645. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1979.tb02274.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Petty F., Schlesser M. A. Plasma GABA in affective illness. A preliminary investigation. J Affect Disord. 1981 Dec;3(4):339–343. doi: 10.1016/0165-0327(81)90003-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Petty F., Sherman A. D. Plasma GABA levels in psychiatric illness. J Affect Disord. 1984 Apr;6(2):131–138. doi: 10.1016/0165-0327(84)90018-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Rabe L. S., Buck S. H., Moreno L., Burks T. F., Dafny N. Neurophysiological and thermoregulatory effects of capsaicin. Brain Res Bull. 1980 Nov-Dec;5(6):755–758. doi: 10.1016/0361-9230(80)90216-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Ring H. A., Heller A. J., Farr I. N., Reynolds E. H. Vigabatrin: rational treatment for chronic epilepsy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1990 Dec;53(12):1051–1055. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.53.12.1051. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Schechter P. J., Hanke N. F., Grove J., Huebert N., Sjoerdsma A. Biochemical and clinical effects of gamma-vinyl GABA in patients with epilepsy. Neurology. 1984 Feb;34(2):182–186. doi: 10.1212/wnl.34.2.182. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. TELLENBACH H. EPILEPSIE ALS ANFALLSLEIDEN UND ALS PSYCHOSE. UBER ALTERNATIVE PSYCHOSEN PARANOIDER PRAEGUNG BEI "FORCIERTER NORMALISIERUNG" (LANDOLT) DES ELEKTROENCEPHALOGRAMMS EPILEPTISCHER. Nervenarzt. 1965 May;36:190–202. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES