Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-27gpq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T15:49:33.464Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Pramipexole in unipolar and bipolar depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Eromona Whiskey
Affiliation:
Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ, E-mail: Eromona.Whiskey@slam.nhs.uk
David Taylor
Affiliation:
Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Aims and Method

To review the evidence for this use of pramipexole in the treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression, a literature search on Embase and Medline was conducted in December 2003. The search was updated in July 2004. The reference sections of retrieved papers were searched for further relevant references.

Results

There are limited data on the clinical use of pramipexole in affective disorders. Only two double-blind trials in bipolar depression and one in unipolar depression were retrieved. Most information is in the form of case reports and open studies. No dose-response relationships have been established and a wide range of doses has been employed in the reports.

Clinical Implications

In view of the fact that the evidence for the use of pramipexole is still limited at the time of writing, its routine clinical use cannot be recommended. The data appear promising, but further research is required to determine its role in affective disorders.

Type
Drug Information Quarterly
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 2004. The Royal College of Psychiatrists.

References

Corrigan, M., Denahan, A., Eugene Wright, C., et al (2000) Comparison of pramipexole, fluoxetine and placebo in patients with major depression. Depression and Anxiety, 11, 5865.3.0.CO;2-H>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Debattista, C., Solvason, H., Breer, I., et al (2000) Pramipexole augmentation of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in the treatment of depression. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 20, 274275.Google Scholar
Goldberg, J., Frye, M. & Dunn, R. (1999) Pramipexole in refractory bipolar depression. American Journal of Psychiatry 156, 798799.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goldberg, F., Burdick, K. E., Endick, C. J. (2004) Preliminary randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of pramipexole added to mood stabilisers for treatment-resistant bipolar depression. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 564566.Google Scholar
Lattanz, I., Dell'Osso, L., Cassano, P., et al (2002) Pramipexole in treatment-resistant depression: a 16-week naturalistic study. Bipolar Disorders, 4, 307314.Google Scholar
Maj, J. & Rogoz, Z. (1999) Synergistic effect of pramipexole and sertraline in the forced swimming test. Polish Journal of Pharmacology, 51, 471475.Google Scholar
Ostow, M. (2002) Pramipexole for depression. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 320321.Google Scholar
Perugi, G., Toni, C., Ruffolo, G., et al (2001) Adjunctive dopamine agonists in treatment-resistant bipolar II depression: an open case series. Pharmacopsychiatry, 34, 137141.Google Scholar
Rampello, L., Nicoletti, F. & Nicoletti, F. (2000) Dopamine and depression: Therapeutic implications. CNS Drugs, 13, 3545.Google Scholar
Rektorová, I. Rektor, I., Barešm, ., et al (2003) Pramipexole and pergolide in the treatment of depression in Parkinson's disease: a national multicentre prospective randomised study. European Journal of Neurology, 10, 399406.Google Scholar
Renard, C., Fiocco, A., Clenet, F. et al (2001) Is dopamine implicated in the antidepressant-like effects of SSRIs in the mouse forced swimming test? Psychopharmacology 159, 4250.Google Scholar
Silverstone, T. (1984) Response to bromocriptine distinguishes bipolar from unipolar depression. Lancet, 1, 903904.Google Scholar
Sporr, J., Ghaem, N. G., Sambur, M. R., et al (2000) Pramipexole augmentation in the treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression. A retrospective chart review. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, 12, 137140.Google Scholar
Szegedi, A., Hillert, A., Wetzel, H., et al (1997) Pramipexole, a dopamine agonist, in major depression: Antidepressant effects and tolerability in an open-label study with multiple doses. Clinical Neuroparmacol, 20, S36S45.Google Scholar
Willner, P. (1983) Dopamine and depression: a review of recent evidence. Brain Res Rev, 6, 211246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Willner, P. (1995) Dopaminergic mechanisms in depression and mania. In Psychopharmacology: thefourth generation of progress (eds Bloom, F. & Kupfer, D.), pp. 921932. New York: Raven Press.Google Scholar
Zarate, C. A. Jr, Payne, J. L., Singh, J. et al (2004) Pramipexole for bipolar II depression: A placebo-controlled proof of concept study. Biologicakl Psychiatry, 56, 5460.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.