GABA AND PHOSPHATIDYLSERINE IN HUMAN PHOTOSENSITIVITY - A PILOT-STUDY

Previous experimental studies have shown that the simultaneous adminis tration of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and phosphatidylserine (PS) can exert an anticonvulsant activity in different seizure models; more over, a preliminary trial showed some effect of the association GABA-P S in patients with absence seizures. The aim of this study was to inve stigate the antiepileptic properties of GABA-PS in the model of human photosensitivity. Nine patients with epilepsy associated with an EEG p attern of photoconvulsive response at intermittent photic stimulation entered a 3-day study. The photosensitivity range (PSR) was determined at hourly intervals both in basal conditions and after the administra tion of a single oral dose of GABA (3000 mg) and PS (600 or 1200 mg). The administration of GABA-PS was not associated with any systematic c hanges of PSR, nor with any significant differences of time course pro files on each daily session. No correlation was found between PSR perc ent deviations from baseline and GABA serum levels. These results indi cate that a single acute administration of GABA-PS has no effect in th e human photosensitivity model, and suggest that the efficacy of GABA- PS in human epilepsy, as shown by a preliminary investigation, may pos sibly require chronic administration.