Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Antidepressant Drugs: Tricyclics, SSRIs, and SNRIs

Antidepressant Drugs: Tricyclics, SSRIs, and SNRIs

Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs), including Desipramine (Norpramin), Imipramine (Tofranil), Clomipramine (Anafranil), and Amitriptyline (Elavil), inhibit serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake and also block other receptors. They are used for depression, pain conditions, and insomnia. Common adverse effects include anticholinergic effects, sedation, orthostatic hypotension, and weight gain. They have a narrow therapeutic window and so require plasma-level monitoring. Abrupt discontinuation can...

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

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...

Antidepressant Drugs: Overview

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...

Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Serotonin Receptor Agonists

Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Serotonin Receptor Agonists

Serotonin, a crucial neurotransmitter synthesized by enterochromaffin cells, plays a cardinal role in regulating gastrointestinal (GI) motility. With over 90% of the body's total serotonin in the GI tract, its influence on digestive processes is profound. Serotonin is swiftly released upon various stimuli, such as food boluses or certain drugs, triggering intrinsic sensory neurons in the myenteric plexus and extrinsic vagal and spinal sensory neurons. This leads to the activation of the...

Drug Therapy

Drug Therapy

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

Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone

Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone

Benzodiazepines are a class of anxiolytic drugs known for their rapid efficacy and high therapeutic-to-lethal dose ratio, but with a potential risk of drug dependence. These drugs are lipophilic, allowing for rapid absorption after oral administration, eventually reaching the central nervous system (CNS). Once in the CNS, benzodiazepines bind to the allosteric site of the GABAA receptor. This binding enhances the inhibitory effects of the neurotransmitter GABA. By doing so, they prevent...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

CTAD taskforce: genetic therapies in Alzheimer's disease.

The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease·2025

Same author

Test of Lepton Flavor Universality with B_{s}^{0}→ϕℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} Decays.

Physical review letters·2025

Same author

Observation of the Open-Charm Tetraquark Candidate T_{cs0}^{*}(2870)^{0} in the B^{-}→D^{-}D^{0}K_{S}^{0} Decay.

Physical review letters·2025

Same author

Study of Λ_{b}^{0} and Ξ_{b}^{0} Decays to Λh^{+}h^{'-} and Evidence for CP Violation in Λ_{b}^{0}→ΛK^{+}K^{-} Decays.

Physical review letters·2025

Same author

First Evidence for Direct CP Violation in Beauty to Charmonium Decays.

Physical review letters·2025

Same author

First Determination of the Spin-Parity of Ξ_{c}(3055)^{+,0} Baryons.

Physical review letters·2025

Same journal

Effects of antidepressants, anesthetics and sedatives/hypnotics on sleep-associated memory consolidation - A systematic review.

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)·2026

Same journal

Mental resilience is not meaningfully associated with the frequency and severity of alcohol hangover.

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)·2026

Same journal

Psilocybin reduces fear memory and restores neuroplasticity in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex.

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)·2026

Same journal

Classical psychedelic microdosing, mood, and cognitive function: An umbrella review with narrative synthesis.

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)·2026

Same journal

The purpose of the psychosocial protocol in the psychedelic-assisted therapy: A scoping review.

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)·2026

Same journal

Mitochondrial dysfunction in schizophrenia and its modulation by atypical antipsychotic drugs: A randomized controlled trial.

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Published on: April 18, 2011

The SSRIs: advantages, disadvantages and differences.

R Lane¹, D Baldwin, S Preskorn

¹International Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Inc, 235 East 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, USA.

Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)

|February 3, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) offer improved safety and tolerability for depression treatment compared to TCAs. Their effectiveness extends to anxiety, OCD, and panic disorders, with individual SSRI profiles guiding patient selection.

More Related Videos

The Forced Swim Test as a Model of Depressive-like Behavior

The Forced Swim Test as a Model of Depressive-like Behavior

Published on: March 2, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 25, 2026

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Published on: April 18, 2011

The Forced Swim Test as a Model of Depressive-like Behavior

The Forced Swim Test as a Model of Depressive-like Behavior

Published on: March 2, 2015

Area of Science:

Pharmacology
Psychiatry
Clinical Therapeutics

Background:

Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) represent a pharmacotherapy advancement for depression.
Compared to tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), SSRIs offer improved safety and tolerability profiles.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the advantages of SSRIs in depression pharmacotherapy.
To compare SSRIs with TCAs regarding efficacy, safety, and tolerability.
To highlight the differential characteristics among SSRIs for informed clinical choice.

Main Methods:

Review of clinical efficacy and safety data for SSRIs and TCAs.
Analysis of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of various SSRIs.
Examination of SSRI effectiveness in depression, anxiety, OCD, and panic disorders.

Main Results:

SSRIs demonstrate equivalent efficacy to TCAs but with significantly reduced toxicity and better tolerability.
SSRIs exhibit low anticholinergic effects and minimal cardiotoxicity, improving patient compliance.
SSRIs are effective for depression with anxiety, OCD, panic disorder, and social phobia.
Emerging differences in side effects and drug interactions among SSRIs are linked to their pharmacokinetic profiles.

Conclusions:

SSRIs offer significant advantages over TCAs in depression treatment due to their safety and tolerability.
Individual SSRI characteristics, including half-life and drug interaction potential, necessitate careful patient selection.
Further comparative trials are needed, but current data guide physicians in choosing appropriate SSRIs for individual patients.