Pharmacopsychiatry 2010; 43(1): 38-39
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1242818
Letter

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Bupropion for Depression in Schizophrenia: A Case Report

S. Englisch1 , A. Esser1 , M. Zink1
  • 1Central Institute of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

received 20.05.2009 revised 08.09.2009

accepted 06.10.2009

Publikationsdatum:
10. Dezember 2009 (online)

Preview

Major depressive episodes (MDEs) are common in the course of schizophrenia [1], and antidepressant agents are frequently administered. Bupropion, a dual dopamine/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, primarily addresses catecholamine neurotransmission which is of pivotal importance in mood regulation [9]. While bupropion proved to be efficient and safe in the treatment of nicotine dependency in schizophrenic patients [2] [4] and as an antidepressant agent did not show an increased psychotogenic risk compared with other common antidepressants [10], there still have been reports on bupropion-associated psychotic episodes [5] [8] which are held liable for the fact that bupropion is only reluctantly applied in schizophrenia. Here, we describe a schizophrenic patient whose post-psychotic depression was successfully treated with bupropion without worsening the psychotic syndrome.

References

Correspondence

Dr. S. Englisch

Central Institute of Mental Health

P. O. Box: 12 21 20

68072 Mannheim

Germany

Telefon: +49/621/1703 2822

Fax: +49/621/1703 2525

eMail: susanne.englisch@zi-mannheim.de