Eric A. Nofzinger, Amy Fasiczka, Susan Berman, and Michael E. Thase
Background: Antidepressant-induced
periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) may limit the tolerability
of some antidepressant medications and interfere with treatment
response. Given the role of dopamine in PLMD and the effects of
bupropion sustained-release (SR) on central dopaminergic
function, we hypothesized that bupropion SR would not be
associated with antidepressant-induced PLMD.
Method: In an expanded case-series
design, we compared the effects of bupropion SR, after about 10
weeks of treatment, on measures of PLMD, depression, and sleep in
5 depressed (Research Diagnostic Criteria) patients who also met
criteria for having pretreatment PLMD. Depression was measured
using the Beck Depression Inventory and the Hamilton Rating Scale
for Depression. Patients were considered to have PLMD if
polysomnographic recordings showed > 5 periodic limb
movements/hour of sleep that were associated with arousals from
sleep.
Results: Bupropion SR treatment was
associated with a reduction in measures of PLMD and an
improvement in depression.
Conclusion: These results show that
bupropion SR is not associated with antidepressant-induced PLMD.
Rather, bupropion SR treatment reduces objective measures of PLMD
in depressed patients with the disorder.
J Clin Psychiatry 2000;61(11):858-862
© Copyright 2000 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.