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Related Concept Videos

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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 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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Agomelatine: a novel antidepressant.

Randy A Sansone1, Lori A Sansone

  • 1Departments of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, USA. randy.sansone@khnetwork.org

Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience
|December 23, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Many patients with depression do not achieve remission with current treatments. Novel options like agomelatine, a melatonergic agonist and 5HT(2c) antagonist, show promise for treating depression.

Keywords:
Agomelatineantidepressantdepression

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Depression is a highly prevalent condition in primary and community care settings.
  • The Sequential Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study indicated that approximately one-third of patients do not achieve full remission even after multiple interventions.
  • This highlights the need for novel antidepressant therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce agomelatine as a potential novel antidepressant option.
  • To describe its unique mechanism of action.
  • To review its current side-effect profile and safety considerations.

Main Methods:

  • Review of agomelatine's pharmacological properties.
  • Analysis of its mechanism involving melatonergic agonism and 5HT(2c) antagonism.
  • Evaluation of reported side effects and safety data.

Main Results:

  • Agomelatine's melatonergic agonism may improve sleep patterns.
  • 5HT(2c) antagonism is associated with increased norepinephrine and dopamine release.
  • The drug exhibits a generally mild side-effect profile, including no discontinuation syndrome, infrequent sexual dysfunction, and weight neutrality.
  • It appears relatively safe in overdose.
  • A potential risk includes elevated hepatic transaminases in approximately one percent of patients.

Conclusions:

  • Agomelatine presents a unique pharmacological approach for depression treatment.
  • Its distinct mechanism offers a potential new strategy in both psychiatric and primary care.
  • Further clinical trials are necessary to confirm its risk-benefit profile for widespread use.