title: Pharmacological principles of antidepressant efficacy.
abstract: Both noradrenaline (NA) and serotonin (5-HT) appear to be involved in depression. Evidence suggests that dual-acting antidepressants, i.e. those that affect both monoamine systems, such as tricyclic antidepressants and the noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant mirtazapine, may have greater efficacy and a faster onset of action than drugs that act on a single monoamine system only, such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Cell firing is reduced by SSRIs in the short-term, but is increased by mirtazapine, probably due to its actions on both NA (via alpha(2) antagonism) and 5-HT (via alpha(1)-stimulation by NA). This may help to explain clinical evidence suggesting that mirtazapine has a faster onset of action than the more selective antidepressants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5717, USA. afschatz@leland.stanford.edu
authors.forename: Alan F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Schatzberg
mesh_terms: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D004347:Drug Interactions; D006801:Humans; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D010597:Pharmacogenetics; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D009638:Norepinephrine; D012701:Serotonin; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors