title: Emerging treatment mechanisms for depression: focus on glutamate and synaptic plasticity.
abstract: Major depression is a chronic and debilitating illness that effects approximately 1 in 5 people, but currently available treatments are limited by low rates of efficacy, therapeutic time lag, and undesirable side effects. Recent efforts have been directed towards investigating rapid-acting agents that reverse the behavioral and neuronal deficits of chronic stress and depression, notably the glutamate NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine. The cellular mechanisms underlying the rapid antidepressant actions of ketamine and related agents are discussed, as well as novel, selective glutamatergic receptor targets that are safer and have fewer side effects.
authors: Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, United States.
authors: Danielle M
authors: DM
authors: Gerhard
authors: Molecular Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06711, United States.
authors: Eric S
authors: ES
authors: Wohleb
authors: Molecular Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06711, United States. Electronic address: ronald.duman@yale.edu.
authors: Ronald S
authors: RS
authors: Duman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D018683:Excitatory Amino Acid Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D006801:Humans; D007649:Ketamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018683:Excitatory Amino Acid Agents; D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; C121001:NR2B NMDA receptor; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D007649:Ketamine; D012601:Scopolamine