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Related Concept Videos

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents01:23

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...
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Antidepressant Drugs: Overview

Antidepressant drugs are a class of medications primarily used for treating various mood disorders, including major depression, anxiety disorders, and other related conditions. These medicines work by modulating the neurotransmitter balance within the brain, alleviating depressive symptoms. Antidepressants can be broadly categorized into several groups according to their mechanism of action and chemical structure: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Serotonin-Norepinephrine...
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Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview

Anxiolytic drugs are vital in managing anxiety disorders by effectively alleviating symptoms such as excessive fear, tachycardia, and tremors. There are several classes of anxiolytic medications, each with unique mechanisms of action and potential side effects.
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
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Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents01:17

Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents

Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a wide range of substances, each with its unique mechanism of action, uses, and potential adverse effects.
Melatonin congeners like ramelteon (Rozerem) and tasimelteon (Hetlioz) selectively bind to melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) and thus mimic the actions of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Tasimelteon is primarily used for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, common in blind patients. They are also used to treat conditions like insomnia...
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Mania, a psychological condition characterized by elevated mood, increased energy, and reduced sleep need, is part of the bipolar disorder cycle. The exact cause of mania isn't entirely known, but it is thought to be a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurological factors. Bipolar disorder involves alternating manic and depressive episodes. Mood stabilizers like lithium, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants help manage these episodes. Lithium carbonate is particularly effective as a...
Drug Therapy01:28

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The advent of drug therapy has profoundly shaped modern mental health care, providing targeted treatments for a range of psychological disorders. Psychotherapeutic drugs, classified into antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medications, address symptoms across anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. While these medications have transformed patient outcomes, they require careful management due to their potential side effects and limitations.
Antianxiety Medications

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Agomelatine: a narrative review.

Koen Demyttenaere1

  • 1University Psychiatric Center KuLeuven, Campus Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. koen.demyttenaere@med.kuleuven.be

European Neuropsychopharmacology : the Journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
|August 13, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Long-term success in treating major depressive disorder (MDD) depends on cumulative treatment effects and a balance of efficacy and safety. Agomelatine demonstrates efficacy across depression phases and symptom clusters, with a favorable tolerability profile.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a heterogeneous condition requiring treatments that balance efficacy and tolerability.
  • Antidepressant treatment success is cumulative across all stages of MDD.
  • Different antidepressants may target specific patient subgroups due to varied mechanisms of action.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of agomelatine in treating major depressive disorder (MDD).
  • To assess agomelatine's effectiveness across different phases and symptom clusters of depression.
  • To compare agomelatine's safety profile with other antidepressants.

Main Methods:

  • Clinical trials involving agomelatine, a melatonergic receptor agonist and 5HT(2C) receptor antagonist.
  • Assessment of efficacy in acute and continuation phases of depression treatment.
  • Evaluation of tolerability, including adverse events like sexual dysfunction, weight gain, and liver enzyme elevations.

Main Results:

  • Agomelatine is efficacious in both acute and continuation phases of MDD treatment.
  • Efficacy spans core depression symptoms, sleep disturbances, anxiety, retardation, somatic symptoms, and functional impairment.
  • Agomelatine shows comparable efficacy to other antidepressants (paroxetine, venlafaxine, sertraline, fluoxetine), including in severe depression and anxiety symptoms.
  • Agomelatine offers advantages in tolerability, with lower rates of sexual dysfunction and weight gain.
  • Transient aminotransferase elevations occurred slightly more frequently with agomelatine (1.1%) than placebo (0.7%).

Conclusions:

  • Agomelatine is an effective treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) across various symptom clusters and treatment phases.
  • The drug presents a favorable tolerability profile, particularly regarding sexual dysfunction and weight gain.
  • A hepatic monitoring schedule is recommended due to a slight increase in transient aminotransferase elevations.