Posted by SLS on May 10, 2000, at 15:37:17
In reply to Amphetamine Treatment of Mania, posted by PeterJ on May 8, 2000, at 20:00:23
> > I forgot to respond to your part about stimulants. Of course, we are all different, but I found stimulants either prevented or decreased my mania. I'm not positive, but I believe they would more often than not prevent rather than induce mania (for me anyway). Janice
> Your observation is backed up by several studies and case reports showing that amphetamine reduces manic symptoms On the other hand there are reports of amphetamine inducing mania as well and certainly the effects of amphetamine can mimic manic symptoms. It would seem that many bipolar individuals react to amphetamine in a ways similar to people with ADHD and find the stimulant calming. Here are some references.
> Peter
Peter,Other than in those cases of brain-injury patients, have all the instances of amphetamine-induced improvement of manic symptoms you encountered been extremely transient?
I guess I just like to brainstorm this stuff, but couldn't the acute pouring-out of dopamine effected by amphetamine produce a temporary state of accommodation (continual depolarization) of dopaminergic neurons, thereby decreasing neural activity in the culprit regions and temporarily ameliorating manic symptoms, this phenomenon only to diminish once presynaptic stores are partially depleted or postsynaptic receptor sensitivity reduced?
(I must catch my breath)
Perhaps the consequence of these changes at the synapse is a prophylactic effect against mania in certain individuals.
I feel like I'm reaching.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:32741
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000508/msgs/33085.html