Effect of combined reserpine and ECS on electroshock seizure thresholds in mice.

Recent evidence has suggested that electroshock seizure threshold is correlated with levels of brain biogenic amines. Reserpine, a drug that depletes serotonin and norepinephrine, has been shown to decrease seizure thresholds. ECS treatment has been shown to increase amine levels as well as seizure thresholds. Combined reserpine and ECS have been shown to produce an intermediate level of serotonin and norepinephrine, but seizure threshold data for this group is absent. It was the purpose of this study to examine the seizure thresholds for combined treatment and compare them with groups treated with reserpine alone, ECS alone, and a placebo control group. The results suggest that, if only maximal seizures are considered, the seizure threshold is lowest for the reserpine and highest for the ECS alone or control groups, with the combined treatment group falling intermediate. If both minimal and maximal seizures are considered, the reserpine and combined treatment groups do not differ from one another, but do show a lower threshold as compared to ECS or control groups.