Treatment of depression: a comparative study of E.C.T. and six drugs

Since the introduction of drug therapy in depression, a wide range of pharmacological substances has been made available. It is possible to show that many of these substances are more effective than a placebo in the treatment of depression, but it is not an easy matter to evaluate them in relation to one another.

Neuropharmacology of Tranylcypromine and Trifluoperazine

Tranylcypromine was compared to trifluoperazine in a number of pharmacological test procedures. Both compounds were effective in producing catalepsy, a selective blockade of the conditioned stimulus, and potentiation of hexobarbital-induced sleep. Unlike trifluoperazine, tranylcypromine was very effective as a tryptamine potentiator, a reflection of its activity as an in vivo inhibitor of the enzyme monoamine oxidase. Tranylcypromine was ineffective in producing any appreciable decrease in spontaneous motor activity at doses up to 20 mg/kg, whereas the DD50 for trifluoperazine was 1.1 mg/kg.