The behavioral toxicity of reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase A: laboratory and clinical investigations

• Published in: Journal of clinical psychopharmacology Vol. 15; no. 4 Suppl 2; p. 68S
• Main Authors: Fairweather, D B, Hindmarch, I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.08.1995
• Subjects: Behavior - drug effects; Depressive Disorder - complications; Depressive Disorder - drug therapy; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Humans; Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors - adverse effects; Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0271-0749
• DOI: 10.1097/00004714-199508001-00012

Measuring the effect of an antidepressant on performance tests of psychomotor ability and cognitive processing is important in order to obtain an objective assessment of its psychotropic activity. It is also essential to identify potential interference with everyday activities such as driving, operating machinery, and performing domestic tasks and to assess the extent to which central nervous system side effects may compound the cognitive and psychomotor impairment resulting from depressive illness. Older compounds such as amitriptyline impair performance on these tests, whereas the newer antidepressant moclobemide appears to have no effect. What remains to be clarified is whether these tests are predictive of the behavioral side effects that may occur in depressed patients.