Further developments in the drug treatment of depression are being actively pursued. Medications currently under testing programs include dual reuptake inhibitors, novel dopamine reuptake inhibitors, drugs combining 5-HT reuptake inhibition with 5-HT2/5-HT3 receptor antagonism, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor antagonists,

substance P (neurokinin) receptor antagonists, melatonergic agonists, and compounds modulating glutamatergic neurotransmission. Other novel treatment strategies are also Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in the pipeline.8 Most recently, attention has moved from intrasynaptic changes in neurotransmitter levels to changes in intracellular signaling pathways.9 In an important review, Manji and colleagues9 raise the possibility that depression may be associated with impairments in signaling pathways that are considered important for the regulation of neuroplasm ticity and cell survival. The heuristic value of such an approach, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical as highlighted in (Figure 1), points to the wide-ranging possibilities of understanding the mechanisms of action of currently available medications, but raise the possibilities of new targets for

future drug development. Furthermore, the review proposes roles for chronic stress. In turn, McEwen’s concept of “allostatic load” may be incorporated into how recurrent depression Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical leads to structural and functional central nervous system (CNS) impairment.10 Figure 1. Neuroplasticity and cellular resilience in mood disorders; the multiple influences on neuroplasticity and cellular resilience in mood disorders. Genetic/neurodevelopmental factors, repeated affective episodes, and illness progression might all

contribute Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical … Table II. Antidepressant potency for blocking norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]), and dopamine (DA) transporters. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical + to +++++, increasing levels of potency; -, weak; 0, no effect. Adapted from reference 7: Richelson E. The clinical relevance … Assessment In assessing depression, clinicians should consider the level of symptom severity and current functional impairment of the patient, the duration of the depression, the presence of psychotic symptoms, level of suicidality, and previous ill-ness and treatment history. Most depressed patients do not self-refer directly whatever to a psychiatrist. Instead, they seek help from a primary care physician, often focusing on somatic disorders or www.selleckchem.com/Serotonin-receptor.html energy rather than mood complaints. Recognition (sometimes more difficult in men) and appropriate diagnosis should be followed immediately by a treatment plan. If the plan includes medication, it must involve the choice of an appropriate drug prescribed at an adequate dosage and for a sufficient duration, with attention to treatment adherence by patient and family members or caretakers, if necessary.11 Recognition and treatment of depression in the context of an ongoing medical disease, such as diabetes or hypertension, is very important.