Oral Scopolamine Promising for Depression
Intravenous scopolamine has shown promise as a rapid-acting antidepressant in studies by Carlos Zarate and colleagues at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Improvement on the drug can occur within 24 hours.
In a 6-week 2012 study, an oral preparation of scopolamine was more effective than placebo as an add-on medication to the selective serotonin reuptake intake (SSRI) antidepressant citalopram. Patients who received scopolamine and citalopram had higher rates of response and remission than those who received placebo and citalopram. The scopolamine group experienced more blurred vision and dizziness, which is to be expected from an anticholinergic drug, a drug that blocks the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain.
