THE USE OF ANTICONVULSANTS TO AUGMENT ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION

Combination therapy that couples classical antidepressants with other psychoactive compounds is one of the major therapeutic strategies in t herapy-resistant depression. The authors review reports on the antidep ressive effects of the mood stabilizers carbamazepine and valproate an d focus on the pharmacodynamic and clinical aspects of combining these compounds with antidepressant drugs. In addition, a pivotal study (N = 10 outpatients) demonstrates the use and efficacy of a low-dose comb ination therapy of carbamazepine and amitriptyline. It is concluded th at low-dose combination of classical antidepressants and mood stabiliz ers appears to be well tolerated and highly effective.