Successful treatment of epilepsy with serotonin reuptake inhibitors: proposed mechanism.
The widely used antidepressants Specific Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) have been tried with success as anticonvulsants in cases of nonsymptomatic epilepsy. This attempt was performed on the basis of experimental data suggesting the involvement of impairments of the serotonin system in the genesis of epilepsy. This overview summarizes the clinical data and presents biochemical and neurochemical evidences suggesting the mechanism of the therapeutic effects of SSRI in nonsymptomatic epilepsy. In particular, studies on blood-borne neutral amino acids and platelet serotonin transporter (SERT) in epileptics suggest: (a) That a decreased brain availability of tryptophan may be related to some types of epilepsy. (b) That reduction of the density of SERT may be a homeostatic reaction in the brain following epileptic seizures.
Albano
C
C
Department of Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Genova, Italy.
Cupello
A
A
Mainardi
P
P
Scarrone
S
S
Favale
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D015283:Citalopram / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000378:metabolism
D000596:Amino Acids; D015283:Citalopram; D005473:Fluoxetine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D014364:Tryptophan