Help! Mechanism of action of anti-depressants

JuliusCaesar

Just thought I'd try a quick cry for help, as you've been brilliant at coming up with great references in the past.......I've mislaid my excellent article about how we don't really know the mechs of action of anti-deps; can't remember author, journal, date (why would I need too? It was stuck on my notice-board!) Now that I need it, the blasted thing has vanished .........Can anyone help?

Valmont

Joseph Glenmullen has a book called Prozac Backlash: overcoming the dangers of prozac, zoloft, paxil, and other anti-depressants with safe effective alternatives..

Google the name and it might give you a starting point. I don't really know to be honest, I just read about him in Lauren Slaters Opening Skinners box: Great psychological experiments of the 21st century

Gibs

Not sure which article you had but here's a couple of resources:

http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020392


http://www.talkingcure.com/archives.asp?id=129&fragment=0&SearchType=AND&terms=antidepressants

http://www.talkingcure.com/archives.asp?id=135

The British Journal of Psychiatry (2000). "Assessing effectiveness of treatment of depression in primary care. 177, 312-318

DeRubeis, R., Gelfand, L., Tang, T., & Simons, A. (1999). Medications versus cognitive behavioral therapy for severely depressed outpatients. American Journal of Psychiatry 156(7), 1007-1012.


Finally, there is also the less serious approach:


http://www.theonion.com/content/node/46032

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/51124

ronbyrne2005

Where they cause a depressed patient to improve it's either
Placebo effect.
Neurogenisis caused by increases in growth factors in brain.
Changes in Seretogenic system or indirect changes in other systems governing mood.
I think.

John

ronbyrne2005 wrote:

Where they cause a depressed patient to improve it's either
Placebo effect.
Neurogenisis caused by increases in growth factors in brain.
Changes in Seretogenic system or indirect changes in other systems governing mood.
I think.

In a nutshell, you're correct. Thing is we don't know where exactly the drug is having an effect. An antidepressant works at the synapse but the antidepressant effect is happening elsewhere (and it takes a few weeks to manifest, despite serotonergic levels rising within hours of the first dose). My money's on synaptogenesis (increase in connections between neurons).

JuliusCaesar

thanks lads, yiz are a great resource! Guess you'll all be at the annual PSI shindig this weekend and won't get my thanks till your return......

Came across something myself recently (while searching for said article) to the effect that while SSRIs relieve depression, so do their opposites SSR Enhancers! Will check into the synaptogenesis theory.....

John

For synaptogenesis, search for neurotrophins and anti-depressants. Some interesting reading there. I don't know anything about SSR enhancers, must have a look at that myself, thanks for the tip.

Gibs

Do a search on Tianeptine - it's one of the best known serotonin enhancers used in treating depression. Here's an article on the subject

ronbyrne2005

For patients who respond to ssri's can the effects wear off? For example if their effect is caused by increasing levels of reptors will brain not adapt and change levels of neurotransmitters etc?? I've heard of people taking them succesfully for years so the drug must have a long lasting effect and doesnt simply increase levels of neurotransmitters/receptors in the short term.