Calcium channel blockers in affective illness: role of sodium-calcium exchange.
Available evidence suggests that verapamil and perhaps other calcium channel blockers are effective in treating mania but not unipolar depression. This article briefly reviews the clinical experience and reexamines potential mechanisms. It is proposed that antimanic efficacy is primarily related to inhibition of sodium-calcium counterexchange rather than calcium channel blockade.
el-Mallakh
R S
RS
Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington.
Jaziri
W A
WA
D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects*; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000187:drug effects; D014700:Verapamil / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D015220:Calcium Channels; D015222:Sodium Channels; D014700:Verapamil