Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T04:34:35.724Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Non-MAOI antidepressant drugs and cognitive functions: a review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

P. J. Thompson  and
M. R. Trimble
P. J. Thompson
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropsychiatry, The National Hospitals for Nervous Diseases, London
M. R. Trimble*
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropsychiatry, The National Hospitals for Nervous Diseases, London
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr M. R. Trimble, Department of Neuropsychiatry, The National Hospitals for Nervous Diseases, Queen Square, London WCIN 3BG.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Synopsis

Little is known about the effects of non-MAOI antidepressants on cognitive functions, despite their wide application to ambulant patients. Evidence from studies involving healthy volunteers suggests that differences exist between drugs, with imipramine, amitriptyline and mianserin being associated with the most marked detrimental effects. However, these findings have generally not been supported by the few studies using clinical populations, for which improvements in cognitive functions are often recorded following treatment. The reasons for this discrepancy are discussed, and the need for further research suggested.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , August 1982 , pp. 539 - 548
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Amin, M. M., Khan, P. & Lehmann, H. E. (1980). The differential effects of viloxazine and imipramine on performance tests: their relationship to behavioural toxicity. Psychopharmacology Bulletin 16, 57–60.Google ScholarPubMed
Bayliss, P. F. C. & Duncan, S. M. (1974). The clinical pharmacology of viloxazine hydrochloride – a new antidepressant of novel chemical structure. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 1, 431–437.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Breslow, R., Kocsis, J. & Belkin, B. (1980). Memory deficits in depression. Evidence utilizing the Wechsler Memory Scale. Perceptual and Motor Skills 51, 541–542.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bye, C., Clubley, M. & Peck, A. W. (1978). Drowsiness, impaired performance and tricyclic antidepressant drugs. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 6, 155–162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chan, M., Ehsanullah, R., Wadsworth, J. & McEwen, J. (1980). A comparison of the pharmacodynamic profiles of nomifensine and amitriptyline in normal subjects. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 9, 247–253.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clayton, A. B., Harvey, P. G. & Betts, T. A. (1977). Effect of two antidepressants, imipramine and viloxazine, upon driving performance. Psychopharmacology 55, 9–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crome, P. & Newman, B. (1978). A comparison of the effects of single doses of mianserin and amitriptyline on psychomotor tests in normal volunteers. Journal of International Medical Research 6, 430–434.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cutting, J. (1979). Memory in functional psychosis. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 42, 1031–1037.Google ScholarPubMed
Di Mascio, A., Heninger, G. & Klerman, G. L. (1964). Psychopharmacology of imipramine and desimipraime: a comparative study of their effects in normal males. Psychopharmacologia 5, 361–371.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elwan, O., Souief, M., Hassen, M. A. & Allam, M. (1976). Psychometric assessment of the therapeutic efficiency of antidepressant agents. Journal of International Medical Research 4, 118–124.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fink, M., Irwin, P., Gastpar, M. & Deridder, J. J. (1977) EEG, blood level and behavioural effects of the antidepressant, mianserin. Psychopharmacology 54, 249–254.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Glass, R. M., Uhlenhuth, M. D. & Weinribb, H. (1978). Imipramine – reversible cognitive deficit in outpatient depressives. Psychopharmacology Bulletin 14, 10–12.Google ScholarPubMed
Goldberg, H. L., Finnerty, R. J. & Cole, J. O. (1975). The effect of doxepin in the aged: interim report on memory changes and electroencephalographic findings. Excerpta Medica ICS 385, 65–69.Google Scholar
Henry, G. M., Weingartner, H. & Murphy, D. L. (1973). Influence of affective states and psychoactive drugs on verbal learning and memory. American Journal of Psychiatry 130, 966–971.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hindmarch, I. (1977). Laboratory investigation of the effect of acute doses of nomifensine on a simulated aspect of night-time car driving performance. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 4, 175–178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hindmarch, I. & Parrott, A. C. (1977). Repeated dose comparison of nomifensine, imipramine and placebo on subjective assessments of sleep and objective measures of psychomotor performance. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 4, 167–173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hindmarch, I., Parrott, A. C. & Stonier, P. D. (1980). The effects of nomifensine and HOE 8476 on car driving and related psychomotor performance. In Nomifensine (ed. Stonier, P. D. and Jenner, F. A.), pp. 47–54. Royal Society of Medicine International Congress and Symposium Series No.25. Academic Press: London.Google Scholar
Keeler, M. H., Prange, A. J. & Reifler, C. B. (1969). Effects of imipramine and thioridazine on set and attention. Diseases of the Nervous System 27, 798–802.Google Scholar
Kiloh, L. G. (1961). Pseudo-dementia. Acta psychiatrica scandinavica 37, 336–351.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kirby, M. & Turner, P. (1974). Some preliminary observations on ICI 58, 834, a new psychotropic agent in man. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 1, 169.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kupietz, S. S. & Balka, E. B. (1976). Alterations in the vigilance performance of children receiving amitriptyline and methylphenidate pharmacotherapy. Psychopharmacology 50, 29–33.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Landauer, A., Milner, G. & Patman, J. (1969). Alcohol and amitriptyline effects on skills related to driving behaviours. Science 163, 1467–1468.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Legg, J. F. & Stiff, M. P. (1976). Drug related patterns of depressed patients. Psychopharmacology 50, 205–210.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Liljequist, R., Matilla, M. J. & Linnoila, M. (1981). Alterations in human memory following acute maprotiline, diazepam and codeine administration. Acta pharmacologica et toxicologica 48, 190–192.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Linnoila, M., Shario, I., Olkoniemi, J., Liljequist, R., Himberg, J. J. & Mäki, M. (1975). Effects of two weeks treatment with chlordiazepoxide or flupenthixol alone or in combination with alcohol. Arzneim Forschung 25, 1088–1092.Google ScholarPubMed
Mattila, M. J., Liljequist, R. & Seppälä, T. (1978). Effects of amitriptyline and mianserin on psychomotor skills and memory in man. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 5, Suppl. 1, 53–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miller, E. & Lewis, P. (1977). Recognition memory in elderly patients with depression and dementia: a signal detection analysis. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 86, 84–86.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miller, W. R. (1975). Psychological deficit in depression. Psychological Bulletin 82, 238–260.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peck, A. W., Bye, C. E., Clubley, M., Henson, T. & Riddington, C. (1979). A comparison of bupropion hydrochloride with dexamphetamine and amitriptyline in healthy subjects. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 7, 469–478.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pishkin, V., Fishkin, S. M., Shurley, J. T., Lawrence, B. E. & Lovallo, W. R. (1978). Cognitive and psychophysiological response to doxepin and chlordiazepoxide. Comprehensive Psychiatry 19, 171–178.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Quinn, P. & Rapoport, J. (1975). One year follow-up of hyperactive boys treated with imipramine or methylphenidate. American Journal of Psychiatry 132, 241–245.Google ScholarPubMed
Raps, C. S., Reinhard, K. E. & Seligman, M. E. P. (1980). Reversal of cognitive and affective deficits associated with depression and learned helplessness by mood evaluation in patients. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 89, 342–349.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rothman, T., Grayson, A. & Ferguson, J. A. (1962). A comparative investigation of isocarboxazid and imipramine in depressive syndromes: A second report. Journal of Neuropsychiatry 3, 234–240.Google ScholarPubMed
Seppälä, T. (1977). Psychomotor skills during acute and two week treatment with mianserin (ORG GB 94) and amitriptyline, and their combined effects with alcohol. Annals of Clinical Research 9, 66–72.Google ScholarPubMed
Seppälä, T., Linnoila, M., Elonen, F., Mattila, M. J. & Mäki, M. (1975). Effect of tricyclic antidepressants and alcohol on psychomotor skils related to driving. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 17, 515–522.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seppälä, T., Linnoila, M. & Mattila, M. J. (1978). Psychomotor skills in depressed outpatients treated with L-tryptophan, doxepin or chlorimipramine. Annals of Clinical Research 10, 214–221.Google ScholarPubMed
Squire, L. R., Judd, L. L., Janowsky, D. S. & Huey, L. Y. (1980). Effects of lithium carbonate on memory and other cognitive functions. American Journal of Psychiatry 137, 1042–1046.Google ScholarPubMed
Sternberg, D. E. & Jarvik, M. E. (1976). Memory functions in depression. Improvement with antidepressant medication. Archives of General Psychiatry 33, 219–224.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strömgren, L. S. (1977). The influence of depression on memory. Acta psychiatrica scandinavica 56, 109–128.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tesiny, E. P., Leckowïtz, M. M. & Gordon, N. H. (1980). Childhood depression, loss of control and school achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology 72, 506–510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trimble, M. R. (1981). Neuropsychiatry. John Wiley & Sons: Chichester.Google Scholar
Weckowicz, T. E., Tam, C. I., Mason, J. & Bay, K. S. (1978). Speed in test performance in depressed patients. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 87, 578–582.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weingartner, H., Cohen, R. M., Murphy, D. L., Martello, J. & Gerdt, C. (1981). Cognitive processes in depression. Archives of General Psychiatry 38, 42–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Werry, J. S., Dowrick, P., Lampen, E. L. & Vamos, M. (1975). Imipramine in enuresis – psychological and physiological effects. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 16, 289–299.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Werry, J. S., Aman, M. G., Dowrick, P. & Lampen, E. L. (1977). Imipramine and chlordiazepoxide in enuresis. Psychopharmacology Bulletin 13, 38–39.Google ScholarPubMed
Werry, J. S., Aman, M. G. & Diamond, E. (1980). Imipramine and methylphenidate in hyperactive children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 21, 27–36.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wittenborn, J. R., Flaherty, C. F., McGough, W. E., Bossange, K. A. & Nash, R. J. (1976). A comparison of the effect of imipramine, nomifensine and placebo in normal males. Psychopharmacology 51, 85–90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed