New Research Could Lead to Better Depression Medication
Depressive disorders change a person’s mood, emotions and
physical well-being and can co-occur with anxiety disorders and
substance abuse. A study in January found half of Americans with
severe depression don't get treatment. “There are big drawbacks
in the current therapies for depression,” says senior author
John Traynor, professor of pharmacology at the University of
Michigan Medical School. “Therapeutic benefits are delayed,
there are unwanted side effects, and it’s not unusual for
depressive symptoms to return.” The high relapse rate indicates
a need for additional treatment options for the estimated 20.9
million Americans with depression, Traynor and colleages write
this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences. The best current treatments for depression are
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. These drugs
work by flooding the brain’s synapses with serotonin, a
neurotransmitter linked with mood, and increasi