Cerebrovascular reactivity following administration of mirtazapine in healthy probands--a randomized, placebo controlled double-blind clinical study.
BACKGROUND
Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) reflects the compensatory dilatory capacity of cerebral arterioles to a dilatory stimulus and is important for maintaining constant cerebral blood flow. A reduced CVR increases the risk of stroke. We recently found that CVR was reduced in patients with depression. This might contribute to the higher risk of stroke that has been found in subjects suffering from depression. The characterization of pathophysiological conditions in the cerebral circulation requires the knowledge of influencing factors on CVR. We therefore investigated the influence that antidepressant administration might have on CVR in humans.


METHODS
We investigated CVR in 48 healthy men before and after a 10-day application of either mirtazapine or placebo. CVR was determined by calculating the increase in cerebral blood flow velocity after stimulation with acetazolamide. Blood flow velocities were measured by transcranial Doppler ultrasound.


RESULTS
There was no significant group-difference of CVR after the treatment trial compared to baseline.


CONCLUSIONS
Mirtazapine does not seem to have an influence on CVR, or any impact on CVR might have been quickly limited by a cerebral autoregulatory response.
Neu
Peter
P
Department of Psychiatry, Charité Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Eschenallee 3, 14050 Berlin, Germany. peter.neu@charite.de
Schwertfeger
Natascha
N
Schlattmann
Peter
P
Heuser
Isabella
I
Berman
Robert M
RM
D000328:Adult; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008803:Mianserin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000078785:Mirtazapine; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D008803:Mianserin; D000078785:Mirtazapine