Is escitalopram safe to use as an antidepressant in epilepsy patients?

Objective: Epilepsy is a devastating neurological disorder with several cognitive or psychiatric comorbidities, including anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, and depressive disorder. It known that long-term drug treatment in epileptic patients increases the incidence of depression. Thus, epilepsy who later developed symptoms usually require to use antidepressant medication throughout their treatment. However, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) derived from drugs could have bidirectional effects on seizure activity. This experimental study was designed determine impact epileptiform activity escitalopram penicillin-induced model. Method: Administration penicillin (500 IU, 2.5 μL, intracortical) into somatomotor cortex Wistar albino male rats triggered Electrocorticography recorded for 180 min. Escitalopram, at doses 5, 10, 20 mg/kg, administered 30 min after injection. Results: While escitalopram, 5 10 increased mean spike frequency compared group, mg/kg dose caused marked increase amplitude Conclusion: The electrophysiological data propose used treating depression, has proconvulsant Therefore, other SSRIs, especially must be great care. mechanism action needs clarified further detailed studies.