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Possible antidepressant/mania-inducing effects of methionine: a reappraisal of the effects of methionine in chronic psychosis using modern diagnostic criteria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2020

J.F. Lipinski Jr
Affiliation:
The Laboratories for Psychiatric Research, Mailman Research Center, 115 Mill Street, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA02178 The Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115, USA
R.C. Alexander*
Affiliation:
The Laboratories for Psychiatric Research, Mailman Research Center, 115 Mill Street, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA02178 The Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115, USA
*
*Present address: Neuropsychiatry Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Washington, DC 20032, USA.
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Summary

The authors have reviewed 13 published studies on methionine administration, usually in combination with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), to chronically psychotic patients, using modern (DSM-III) diagnostic criteria. Four of these studies contained sufficient descriptive data to allow reappraisal of the effects. The results of the review suggest that a proportion of the patients experienced the induction of a manic episode/antidepressant effects rather than the reported worsening of schizophrenia while treated with a methionine-MAOI combination. It is suggested that these observations are consistent with recent findings that S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) has antidepressant and mania-inducing effects.

Résumé

Résumé

Les auteurs examinent 13 études publiées sur l’administration de la méthionine, en général en association avec un inhibiteur de monoamine oxidase (IMAO) pour des patients psychotiques chroniques diagnostiqués avec la méthode du DSMIII. Les résultats suggèrent que certains patients font un épisode maniaque (effet antidépresseur) au lieu d’une aggravation de symptômes schizophréniques à la suite du traitement à la méthionine et IMAO. Ces observations sont en accord avec des études récentes montrant que S-adenosyl méthionine (SAMe) a un effet antidépresseur et peut déclencher un accès maniaque.

Type
Original article
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 1989

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