Reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A

Assessment | Biopsychology | Comparative | Cognitive | Developmental | Language | Individual differences | Personality | Philosophy | Social |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |

Biological: Behavioural genetics · Evolutionary psychology · Neuroanatomy · Neurochemistry · Neuroendocrinology · Neuroscience · Psychoneuroimmunology · Physiological Psychology · Psychopharmacology (Index, Outline)

---

Reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase type-A (RIMAs) are a family of psychiatric drugs that inhibit monoamine oxidase, temporarily and reversibly. They are mostly used for alleviating depression and dysthymia.

These drugs, a subset of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), inhibit only isoenzyme A and are reversible. Isoenzyme B remains free to metabolize tyramine contained in some foods, so they are safer and may not require a special diet.

Because their action is short-lived and selective, they have a better safety profile than the older MAOI drugs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors). A special diet does not need to be so strictly adhered to, although eating excessively large amounts of tyramine-containing foods is not advisable.

Combining a RIMA or MAOI with an SSRI is dangerous since it can lead to serotonin syndrome and possible fatality.

Moclobemide and Brofaromine are RIMAs.