Antidepressant treatment and neural plasticity

The use of psychopharmacologic agents in children is complicated by several factors. One important neurobiologic consideration is the relationship of the effect of the medication to ongoing brain development. Although available data are inadequate to address this issue directly, a review of ancillary data suggests that there are theoretical reasons to exercise prudence in prescribing psychopharmacologic agents. For example, the effects of serotonin on neuronal plasticity suggest that agents that can alter serotonergic function may alter neuronal wiring. Although this can occur in any brain, it may be of particular importance in a developing nervous system. The consequences of these induced changes are not clear. Animal studies on the effect of long-term antidepressant administration in immature pups may begin to answer some of the clinical concerns of these observations.