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[Calcium channel blockers and dysthymic disorders. Recent data]
1Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie et de Psychologie Médicale, CHR Purpan Casselardit, Toulouse.
Abstract:
The authors review the use of the calcium antagonists in the treatment of dysthymic disorders. Verapamil is mainly studied, but present researches focus on drugs with specific action on the CNS, particularly nimodipine. Their most constant therapeutic efficiency concerns hypomanic states; but their effect when prescribed alone remains inconstant on the manic states of bipolar disorders; in a preventive purpose, alone, or associated with lithium, their efficiency is real but inconstant. Their particular interest in dysthymic disorders is due to their absence of cognitive perturbations contrary to neuroleptics, and their less side-effects than lithium.