Pharmacology and Therapeutics of Gabapentin in the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders; Present and Future Perspectives

Gabapentin is an antiepileptic drug, which decreases neuronal excitability and may act by increasing the availability of gamma-aminobutyric acid or by inhibiting Ca2+ channels. It has safe pharmacokinetic and side effect profiles. Not surprisingly, it has been tested as a treatment in a number of psychiatric conditions. The most robust evidence exists for it as an efficacious treatment in both social phobia and panic disorder. However, the extant literature indicates that it also holds promise in the treatment of other anxiety disorders, alcohol and cocaine dependence, nonrefractory bipolar disorder, as well as in behavioral agitation. Further, controlled, investigations of gabapentin's effectiveness in these disorders / conditions merit due consideration, especially given their associated morbidity and lost productivity.