title: Effect of fluoxetine, pemoline and placebo on heart period and QT variability in normal humans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the effects of fluoxetine and pemoline on heart period and QT variability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy volunteers were randomly assigned treatment with 20 mg daily of fluoxetine (n=7), 56.25 mg of pemoline (n=7) or placebo (n=9). Twenty-four-hour Holter ECGs were obtained before and after approximately 8 weeks of double-blind treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant changes in the fluoxetine group. Pemoline was associated with a significant decrease in the high frequency (HF) power (0.15-0.5 Hz, P=.02) and fractal dimension of RR time series (P=.03). QTvi, a measure of QT interval variability, increased in the pemoline group (P=.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pemoline, but not fluoxetine, decreases heart period variability (HPV) in the HF power, suggesting a vagolytic effect on cardiac autonomic function. Pemoline is also associated with an increase in QT interval variability, a measure that is sensitive to adrenergic agonists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 2751 E. Jefferson, Detroit, MI 48207, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pohl
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Balon
authors.forename: Anusha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jayaraman
authors.forename: Ronald G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Doll
authors.forename: Vikram
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Yeragani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000187:drug effects*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010389:Pemoline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010919:Placebos; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D005473:Fluoxetine; D010389:Pemoline; D010919:Placebos; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors