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Published on: December 2, 2015
Antidepressant-Induced Activation in Children and Adolescents: Risk, Recognition and Management
Marissa J Luft1, Martine Lamy2, Melissa P DelBello3
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0559.
Abstract:
The tolerability of antidepressants is poorly characterized in children and adolescents with depressive and anxiety disorders. Among adverse events that affect the tolerability of antidepressants in youth is activation, a cluster of symptoms that represent a hyperarousal event characterized by impulsivity, restlessness, and/or insomnia. This cluster of symptoms was first identified as a side effect of selective serotonin and selective serotonin norepinephrine inhibitors (SSRIs and SSNRIs) in the early 1990s; however, activation remains poorly characterized in terms of prevalence, risk factors, and pathophysiology. This article describes the pathophysiology of antidepressant-related activation, predictors of activation and its clinical management in youth with depressive and anxiety disorders who are treated with antidepressant medications.
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