[Apropos of recent antidepressant drugs: some pharmacological comments]

Since the discovery of imipramine by Kübn in 1958, several hypotheses have been developed in order to explain the antidepressant properties of thymoanaleptic drugs. These hypotheses have successively used the results of predictive psychopharmacology, biological psychiatry and more recently biochemistry of depression. These data have led to the discovery of new products with clear antidepressant properties but with a stereotyped 'mono' aminergic mechanism of action. Among these drugs, the currently most prolific family is the group of 'selective' serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). This review discusses the mechanism of action of the recently marketed antidepressant drugs, their selectivity, drug-induced changes in the synaptic cleft after short and long term treatment, the differences in pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenetics and drug surveillance between the different agents as well as the perspective for the development of new antidepressants.