Dr. Jonathan I. Alpert, associate director of depression clinical and research
program at the Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, believes
that SAMe helps the brain more effectively deliver neurotransmitters from cell
to cell, and would be a novel way to boost the effectiveness of
antidepressants. In a Massachusetts General study, eight capsules of SAMe,
which is 1,600 milligrams, were given daily to 30 patients who have spent
months on antidepressants without any benefit. These patients are usually
called "treatment failures,” because the available prescriptions don't
work for them. They will be treated for six weeks and followed for three
months more. "A lot of people have had impressive responses,” said
Alpert, who has not officially analyzed initial results yet. He said his team
is also interested in testing folic acid and vitamin B12, which are also
involved with the methylation process. They are also hoping to study it
against a standard antidepressant. At Baylor, scientists are testing SAMe in
Parkinson's patients, 40 percent of whom have serious symptoms of depression.
Bottiglieri completed a pilot study on 11 patients who were not responding to
the traditional antidepressant and found that "they improved
dramatically” on SAMe. A much larger study will begin in January.