Prazosin as an Antimanic Agent in Severe Mania or Mixed States
Status:
Withdrawn
Trial end date:
2009-11-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Mania has been considered to be, in part, a hyperadrenergic state. One focus of treatment of
mania involves directly targeting this hyperexcitable state by reducing arousal with
antiadrenergic agents. This can be achieved by decreasing norepinephrine release by
stimulating presynaptic inhibitory receptors. Prazosin, FDA approved for the treatment of
high blood pressure works in part by blocking postsynaptic alpha-adrenergic receptors.
Prazosin has been found to be clinically useful for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder. It is reasonable, therefore, to anticipate that prazosin might be helpful in the
treatment of mania.