How depression and antidepressant drugs work
New research demonstrates the effectiveness of ketamine to treat depression in a mouse model of the disease. The brings together two hypotheses: 1) that depression results from deficits in GABA signaling and 2) that depression results from deficits in glutamate signaling. It shows that the depression-like behavior in the research mice results from the reduction of both GABA and glutamate, and importantly, that both can be restored with a single dose of ketamine. Ref. Source 1o.
Why do antidepressants take so long to work?
An episode of major depression can be crippling, impairing the ability to sleep, work, or eat. But the drugs available to treat depression can take weeks or even months to start working. Researchers have discovered one reason the drugs take so long to work, and their finding could help scientists develop faster-acting drugs in the future. Ref. Source 6z.
How do antidepressants trigger fear and anxiety?
Scientists have mapped out a serotonin-driven anxiety circuit that may explain 'anxiety' side effect of antidepressants. More than 100 million people worldwide take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac and Zoloft, to treat depression, anxiety and related conditions. Ref. Source 3q.
Scientists find new path in brain to ease depression
Scientists have discovered a new pathway in the brain that can be manipulated to alleviate depression. The pathway offers a promising new target for developing a drug that could be effective in individuals for whom other antidepressants have failed. Ref. Source 9m.
Antidepressants Induce Resilience and Reverse Susceptibility
When they work, antidepressant medications may take weeks or months to alleviate symptoms of depression. Progress in developing new and more effective antidepressant treatments has been limited, though a new study offers new insights into how antidepressants work. Ref. Source 2g.
When neurons are out of shape, antidepressants may not work. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed medication for major depressive disorder (MDD), yet scientists still do not understand why the treatment does not work in nearly thirty percent of patients with MDD. Now, researchers have discovered differences in growth patterns of neurons of SSRI-resistant patients. The work has implications for depression as well as other psychiatric conditions such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia that likely also involve abnormalities of the serotonin system in the brain. Source 8l.