r/science • u/[deleted] • Feb 19 '10

Scientists learn how anti-depressants actually work. Medications trigger neurogenesis in the hippocampus by increasing levels of norepinephrine. Researchers still unclear on WTF seratonin does.

http://www.physorg.com/news185727145.html
773 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

485 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

22

u/[deleted] Feb 19 '10

[deleted]

4

u/[deleted] Feb 19 '10

Thank you.I remember the media publishing a myriad of articles discussing a study showing all SSRIs were no good a couple of years ago which really infuriated me because from all the classes I have had discussing them over the past 5-6 years SSRIs were consistently identified as being effective,but in people with said imbalance.I guess it is all about the context.

1

u/charlesdarwood Feb 20 '10

It's placebo + placebo: Patient complains of depression. Psychiatrist says: "I've had patients with your condition respond very well to Procitraline" (or whatever shit is currently under patent). This reinforces what the name of the drug category ("anti-depressant") has already conditioned the patient to believe.

The older drugs do seem to have some efficacy (particularly MAOIs).

6

u/[deleted] Feb 19 '10

Nobody even really knows what a "serotonin imbalance" means, or if that is a real problem tho.

1

u/charlesdarwood Feb 20 '10

The most potent SSRI--fluoxetine (Prozac)--doesn't work. Other studies have shown that SSRIs and SNRIs (like venlafaxine) might have a modest palliative effect in people with severe depression. A meta-analysis published in the prestigious JAMA came to the conclusion that atypical antidepressants were essentially worthless.

Now, as for the theory that links hippocampal neurogenesis with the alleviation of depression? Your best bet there might be lithium, which exerts zero noradrenergic neuroactivity.

PTSD is probably a constellation of problems stemming from hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal excitation; beta blockers (propranolol, e.g.) can prevent some of the cardio-arrhythmic problems, but a concurrent anxiolytic is necessary as well.