title: Should antidepressant drugs of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor family be tested as antiepileptic drugs?
abstract: For a long time, there has been a misconception that all antidepressant drugs have proconvulsant effects. Yet, antidepressants of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) family not only have been shown to be safe when used in patients with epilepsy (PWE) but also have been found to possess antiepileptic properties in animal models of epilepsy. In humans randomized to SSRIs vs. placebo for the treatment of major depressive episodes, the incidence of epileptic seizures was significantly lower among those treated with the antidepressants. These data raise the question of whether there is enough evidence that would support a randomized placebo-controlled trial to test antiepileptic effect of SSRIs in PWE. This article reviews the preclinical and clinical data to address this question.
authors: Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, USA.
authors: Hamada
authors: H
authors: Hamid
authors: Andres M
authors: AM
authors: Kanner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors