Analysis of the relationship between antidepressants and seizures based on the food and drug administration's adverse event reporting system database

Abstract

Background  Antidepressants, a cornerstone of depression treatment, are increasingly scrutinized for their safety concerns. The seizure risk of antidepressants has garnered attention. However, the current research on the relationship between antidepressant use and seizures remains unclear, prompting this study to investigate potential associations using data from the FAERS database.

Aim  This study sought to assess the correlation between seizures and different antidepressants in individuals without pre-existing epilepsy or neurological comorbidities, as well as to explore potential variations in the occurrence of adverse events linked to each specific antidepressant drug.

Methods  A disproportionality analysis was conducted to identify potential risk indicators within the FAERS database. Signals were detected using both the Reporting Odds Ratio (ROR) via the frequency approach and the Information Component (IC) through the Bayesian approach.

Results  A total of 15,940,383 FAERS reports from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2023, were analyzed. 14 antidepressant drugs were associated with seizures, as defined by 41 preferred terms.

Conclusion  This study identified 14 antidepressant drugs that showed significant associations with seizures. Bupropion had the highest seizure ROR among the antidepressant drugs evaluated in this study.