TY  - JOUR
T1  - BLockade of the postictal prolactin surge by methysergide
AU  - Zis AP, Remick RA, Clark CM, Grant B, Brown GM
Y1  - 1989/04/01
N1  - 10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810040091019
JO  - Archives of General Psychiatry
SP  - 385
EP  - 387
VL  - 46
IS  - 4
N2  - To the Editor.— 
    Plasma prolactin (PRL) levels increase severalfold immediately following tonic-clonic seizures, complex partial seizures, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).1-5 Depth electroencephalographic recordings suggest that spreading of the ictal discharge to subcortical (limbic) structures is necessary for the observed PRL release.6 The neurochemical substrate of this neuroendocrine response, however, remains unknown. We report here that pretreatment with the classic serotonin receptor antagonist methysergide blocks the ECTinduced PRL surge.Patients and Methods.— 
    Eight drug-free patients receiving a course of unilateral (n = 5) or bilateral (n = 3) ECT as the clinically indicated treatment for their illness were the subjects of our study. The doses of thiopental sodium and succinylcholine chloride and the voltage and duration of the electrical stimulus were individually adjusted for each patient during the first two treatments and remained constant for treatments 3 through 5. Seizure duration was monitored by the pressure cuff method and averaged
SN  - 0003-990X
M3  - doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810040091019
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810040091019
ER  -