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Scopolamine as an antidepressant: a systematic review
Robert J Jaffe1, Vladan Novakovic, Eric D Peselow
1Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA. robert.jaffe@mountsinai.org
Clinical Neuropharmacology
|January 22, 2013
Summary
Scopolamine demonstrates rapid antidepressant effects for both unipolar and bipolar depression, showing significant symptom improvement within three days. This cholinergic receptor antagonist offers a promising new treatment option for depressive disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- The cholinergic-adrenergic hypothesis suggests an imbalance in neurotransmitter activity in mood disorders.
- Scopolamine, a muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonist, is investigated for its potential antidepressant properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review existing literature on scopolamine's efficacy as an antidepressant.
- To evaluate the therapeutic potential of scopolamine in treating depressive symptoms.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive systematic literature review was performed using Ovid MEDLINE and PubMed.
- Searches included terms related to scopolamine, depression, and antidepressant agents.
Main Results:
- Intravenous scopolamine infusions showed significant antidepressant effects within three days in placebo-controlled trials.
- Antidepressant effects were more pronounced in women and in bipolar depression.
- An 85% success rate was observed in predicting treatment responders.
Conclusions:
- Scopolamine is an effective and rapid-acting antidepressant for unipolar and bipolar depression.
- Therapeutic benefits can be observed as early as three days post-infusion.
- Further independent replication is recommended to solidify these findings.
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