Pharmaco-EEG profiles of antidepressants. Pharmacodynamic studies with fluvoxamine

1 Antidepressant drugs produce significant changes in human brain function as reflected in the quantitatively analysed EEG. Two main types of pharmaco-EEG profiles may be differentiated: a thymeretic (desipramine-like) profile characterised mainly by an alpha increase suggesting activating properties and a thymoleptic (imipramine- or amitriptyline-like) profile showing a concomitant increase of slow and fast activities and a decrease in alpha activity indicating also sedative qualities. A small number of compounds exhibit still different profiles. 2 Aside from determining the type of EEG changes, the pharmaco-EEG method seems to be of value in determining time and dose efficacy relations at the target organ, the human brain. Moreover, the relationships between pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics may be determined. 3 Fluvoxamine, a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) re-uptake inhibitor from the new class of 2-aminoethyloximethers of aralkylketones, produced a typical thymoleptic pharmaco-EEG profile after oral doses of 75 mg in a double-blind placebo-controlled study involving 10 healthy volunteers. Fluvoxamine (75 mg) induced less augmentation of slow activity than 75 mg imipramine, indicating less sedative properties of fluvoxamine than imipramine. 4 After 75 mg fluvoxamine psychometric tests demonstrated a tendency towards an improvement in attention, concentration, psychomotor activity, after-effect and mood and a significant increase in critical flicker fusion frequency as compared with placebo. Comparison with the reference drug, 75 mg imipramine, revealed a significant superiority of fluvoxamine regarding concentration, psychomotor activity, tapping, reaction time, mood and affectivity. 5 Side-effects (mostly tiredness) were seen in five out of 10 subjects after 75 mg fluvoxamine and in eight out of 10 subjects after 75 mg imipramine. There were no clinically relevant changes in pulse, systolic and diastolic blood pressure.