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The role of calcium in the pharmacology of mania
Author(s) -
Dinan Timothy G.,
Elphick Martin,
Sharp Trevor
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/hup.470040210
Subject(s) - calcium , mania , lithium (medication) , potassium , mechanism of action , carbamazepine , chemistry , pharmacology , dopamine , extracellular , neuroscience , psychology , medicine , bipolar disorder , biochemistry , epilepsy , organic chemistry , in vitro
Episodes of mania in bipolar affective disorder patients are associated with a decrease in cerebrospinal fluid calcium. A reduction in extracellular calcium in most neurones leads to a decrease in calcium‐activated potassium conductance mechanisms. Such mechanisms help govern the rate of action potential generation by neurones, and thus the rate of information processing. The dopamine hypothesis of neuroleptic action cannot explain the antimanic actions of lithium, calcium antagonists or carbamazepine. This paper proposes a common mechanism of action for such substances — namely, an action on calcium‐activated potassium conductances.