ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS AND HEART ELECTRICAL-FIELD

Some antidepressant drugs, especially tricyclic ones - (TCA), have car diovascular side effects. To compare the effects of antidepressant dru gs, the electrocardiogram (ECG), vectorcardiogram (VCG), and body surf ace maps (BSM) were recorded in psychiatric patients without cardiovas cular diseases treated by a) TCA amitriptyline or dosulepin (daily dos e 50-200 mg, 22 patients), b) lithium (serum level 0.66 +/- 0.08 meq/l , 21 patients), c) selective serotonine reuptake inhibitor citalopram (daily doses 20-60 mg, 30 patients), and in 23 control patients. In th e TCA-treated patients, the heart rate was increased, QT and RR interv als shortened (p<0.01, antimuscarinic effect). This was not observed i n lithium- and citalopram-treated patients. All antidepressants decrea sed the absolute maximum values of depolarization isointegral maps, li thium and TCA reduced the initial and citalopram the later phase of de polarization. Citalopram slightly diminished the amplitude of the R wa ve. The results confirm the antimuscarinic effects of TCA in therapeut ic doses and specify the intraventricular effects of antidepressants.