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Updated: Jul 27, 2026
08:20
MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder
Published on: August 11, 2015
Potentiation strategies for treatment-resistant depression
S Ros1, L Agüera, J de la Gándara
1Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain. salvador.ros@wanadoo.es
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. Supplementum
|November 26, 2005
Summary
This review explores adding medications to enhance antidepressant treatment for resistant depression. Lithium, triiodothyronine (T3), and buspirone show promise in combination therapies.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Therapeutics
Background:
- Treatment-resistant depression affects 15-30% of patients.
- Standard antidepressant monotherapy is often insufficient for severe cases.
- Potentiation strategies enhance existing antidepressant efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the pharmacological mechanisms of antidepressant potentiation.
- To evaluate the clinical evidence for combination therapy efficacy.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature searches were conducted.
- Relevant studies on antidepressant potentiation were reviewed.
Main Results:
- Lithium, triiodothyronine (T3), and buspirone are well-studied potentiating agents.
- Other agents include pindolol, dopaminergic agents, and antipsychotics.
- Pharmacological potentiation offers strategies for managing resistant depression.
Conclusions:
- Multiple pharmacological potentiation strategies are available for depression.
- Lithium augmentation with antidepressants has strong supporting evidence.
- T3 and buspirone also show positive results in augmentation strategies.
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