No abstract

Blood pressure, critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF), salivary flow rate and pharmacokinetics were compared in 7 young healthy volunteers (average age: 22.7 years) and in 7 elderly healthy volunteers (average age: 70.6 years) after single oral doses of the antidepressants dothiepin (DP) 25 mg and amitriptyline (AMP) 25 mg. Systolic blood pressure fell further and the reduction lasted longer in the elderly than in the young after both drugs. The decrease in CFF after AMP 25 mg, and the reduction in salivary flow rate after either DP 25 mg or AMP 25 mg were larger in the elderly than in the young. Plasma levels, T1/2 and Cl of both drugs in the elderly were also higher, longer and smaller, respectively, in the elderly. Clearance was found to be reduced in the elderly. More cautions dosage regimens of these drug should be considered for elderly patients.

The serial serum concentrations of prolactin (PRL), Cortisol and growth hormone (GH) were measured after clinical fits of seizures in 49 epileptic patients, aged 13‐77. In generalized tonic‐clonic seizures, both the serum PRL and Cortisol levels transiently rose and reached their maximum 30 min after the onset of clinical fits. Serum GHs were elevated in some of the patients. After complex partial seizures, significant rises were found only in serum Cortisol, but no demonstrable change was observed in PRL and GH. In the other minor seizure group, no remarkable change was observed in any of the hormones. These results suggest that the postictal hormonal change is different in each type of seizure, respectively.

The antidepressive effect of an anticonvulsant clonazepam was studied with maximum daily dose of 1.5 to 6.0 mg (mean 3.4 mg) in 27 patients with major depression (n = 18) or bipolar disorder (n = 9). Two of them dropped out at an early stage of the treatment, and the antidepressive effect of clonazepam was evaluated for the remaining 25 patients. A marked to moderate improvement was obtained for 21 patients (84%), and the onset of the antidepressive effect of clonazepam appeared within 1 week in most of the cases who responded to the therapy. The total scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Beck Self-Rating Scale were significantly reduced after the clonazepam treatment. Side effects occurred in 14 patients, but most of them were not severe. From these results, it is thought that clonazepam might be useful as an antidepressant for patients in whom conventional antidepressant treatment are contraindicated.

Effects on physiological parameters were compared among 9 antidepressants (amitriptyline 50 mg, imipramine 50 mg, nortriptyline 50 mg, amoxapine 50 mg, maprotiline 50 mg, mianserin 20 mg, zimelidine 100 mg, nomifensine 50 mg, and Y-8894 50 mg) after a single oral administration in healthy volunteers. Critical fusion frequency of flicker, body sway distance, salivary flow rate, near blurred point, and pulse rate were employed as parameters. The degree of the drug effects on the physiological parameters could be roughly classified into two to four groups according to maximum percent deviation of each parameter.