Posted by linkadge on December 27, 2005, at 21:27:14
In reply to Anticonvulsants as antidepressants?, posted by flmm on December 27, 2005, at 21:04:35
There are a number of researchers who think the effects of antidepressant medications are ultimatedly mediated through glutamate and gaba neurotransmission.
Anticonvulsants may be able to more directly modify these neuromodulators than monoamine based drugs.
I have had at times, a more rapid onset of antidepressant effect with anticonvulsants as compared to conventional antidepressants.
Limbic kindling may be responsable for certain mood disorders, and an anticonvulsant may be more capable of adressing this phenomina than a monoamine based antidepressant.
Researchers sometimes divide animal models of depression into certain subsets. There is a gabergic animal model of depression whereby incrasing gaba neurotransmission is sufficiant reverse learned helplessness.
related:
http://biopsychiatry.com/glutamategaba.htm
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:592610
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051221/msgs/592618.html