psychiatrist

This work may not be copied, distributed, displayed, published, reproduced, transmitted, modified, posted, sold, licensed, or used for commercial purposes. By downloading this file, you are agreeing to the publisher’s Terms & Conditions.

Article

The Role of Dopamine and Norepinephrine in Depression and Antidepressant Treatment

David J. Nutt, MD, PhD

Published: June 15, 2006

This CME activity is expired. For more CME activities, visit CMEInstitute.com.
Find more articles on this and other psychiatry and CNS topics:
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders



Article Abstract


Most antidepressants in use today are descendants of the monoamine oxidase inhibitor iproniazidand the tricyclic agent imipramine. These agents were both originally developed for other indicationsbut then were serendipitously determined to have antidepressant effects. Elucidation of the mechanismsof action of these first antidepressants, along with those of reserpine and amphetamine, led tothe monoamine theories of depression. Through the past several decades, approaches undertaken toclarify the roles of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin in depression haveincluded animal studies, human biological and postmortem studies, inferences drawn from antidepressantdrug actions, and challenge or depletion studies; most recently, brain imaging studies haveproved to be especially informative. This research has identified novel potential targets, with the goalof developing new antidepressant drugs with better efficacy and faster onset of action than current”gold-standard” treatments.


Some JCP and PCC articles are available in PDF format only. Please click the PDF link at the top of this page to access the full text.

Related Articles

Volume: 67

Quick Links:

References