W.B. Saunders Periodicals Home Search User
Pref		 Help
Archives Home Current
Issue 		All
Issues 		Order About this
Journal 		<<
Issue 		>>
Issue

March 1999 • Volume 80 • Number 3


Antidepressant exacerbation of spasticity [see comments]

K A Stolp-Smith [MEDLINE LOOKUP]
M C Wainberg [MEDLINE LOOKUP]
• Previous article in Issue
• Next article in Issue
• Drug links from Mosby's DrugConsult
• Genetic information from OMIM
• Citation of this Article
   • View on PubMed
   • Download in citation manager format
   • Download in Medlars format
• Related articles in PubMed

   Abstract  TOP 

Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) may develop depression. This may be related to adjustment to living with an SCI in addition to dealing with complications of the injury, such as spasticity. Pharmacologic treatment of depression can be difficult because of neurochemical and receptor changes that are associated with SCI. Newer antidepressant agents are purported to have selective activity by alteration of serotonergic neurotransmission. A case report is presented that illustrates exacerbation of spasticity by this family of antidepressant medications. Mechanisms possibly explaining this exacerbation of spasticity are the effects of serotonin on motor neuron and reflex activity, denervation supersensitivity, and the serotonin syndrome. Understanding the relationship between serotonergic systems and spasticity can be important in treating depression in patients with spasticity.
(Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1999 Mar;80(3):339-42)

   Publishing and Reprint Information  TOP