Aspectos fenomenológicos da alteração emocional induzida por antidepressivos / Phenomenological aspects of the changing emocional induced by antidepressants

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2007

RESUMO

Clinical observations and experimental data suggest that the administration of antidepressants to psychiatric patients and normal volunteers is associated with extratherapeutic effects that in patients are independent of the preexistent symptomatology. These effects include increased self-confidence, better mood and well being, reduction in irritability, and increased tolerance to aversive stimuli. Although these effects are observed in a significant number of individuals, the nature and intensity of these changes in emotional mood induced by antidepressants were never described in detail. Objectives: a) To describe the phenomenological aspects of the emotional alterations in healthy volunteers and patients using antidepressants; b) to evaluate the effect of clomipramine on irritability artificially induced in healthy volunteers. Methods: We selected two samples: a) 54 subjects without personal or family history of psychiatric disorders (selected through the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20, the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - SCID, and a family history questionnaire; b) 20 patients with either unipolar depression or anxiety disorders whose reports were suggestive of extratherapeutic effects. After 4 weeks of clomipramine 10 to 40 mg daily, healthy volunteers and patients were evaluated through a qualitative interview for checking response criteria (increased interpersonal tolerance; efficiency; wellbeing; and feeling substantially changed from usual self). To evaluate irritability 48 subjects were submitted to a procedure to induce frustration (success-failure model) before and after the 4 weeks of clomipramine use. A subjective measure of irritability (Aggression Rating Scale) was applied before and after the frustration inducing procedure. Results: 14 healthy volunteers (30%) and 20 patients presented an improved emotional response according to the response criteria. Fourteen volunteers and 20 patients reported decreased irritability and tension in social interaction; improved performance was observed by the 14 healthy volunteers (100%) and 16 (80%) patients; 20 patients and 13 (93%) healthy volunteers reported a wellbeing sensation; 14 healthy volunteers and 18 (80%) patients reported feeling substantially changed from their usual. Volunteers that reach response criteria on the irritability induced procedure reported less irritability and correlate feelings before clomipramine administration than those who did not fulfill the criteria. Conclusions: The results suggest that the extratherapeutic effect occurs in a percentage of healthy volunteers and patients treated with antidepressants. The effects are manifested as a reduction in the expression of negative affect to aversive daily events, without modifying positive affects. Lower irritability observed on volunteers with response criteria on the induced frustration procedure could be a predictor for the occurrence of the extratherapeutic effect

ASSUNTO(S)

antidepressivos/efeitos adversos clomipramina affective symptoms depressão depression sintomas afetivos antidepressive/adverse effects pesquisa qualitativa qualitative research clomipramine

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

Documentos Relacionados