Antidepressants
Efficacy of Adjunctive Aripiprazole in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) Whose Symptoms Worsen with Antidepressant Monotherapy (ADT): A Pooled Analysis of Three Trials
Many patients with MDD do not achieve an adequate response to an initial ADT treatment. Therefore, APA guidelines recommend augmentation of ADT as a treatment option. In addition to augmentation, clinicians may opt to switch medications instead of augmentation for patients with and inadequate response to ADT. This post-hoc analysis evaluated pooled data from three similar randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of adjunctive aripiprazole in patients with MDD, whose symptoms increased during a prospective period of ADT monotherapy. This is the first study assessing adjunctive therapy for this difficult-to-treat population.
Procarbazine and Antidepressants: A Retrospective Evaluation of the Risk of Serotonin Syndrome
Procarbazine (Matulane) is an anticancer agent used in the treatment of Hodgkin’s disease. Procarbazine also inhibits monoamine oxidase (MAO), an enzyme responsible for the metabolism of various catecholamines, including serotonin. While this feature of procarbazine is unrelated to its anticancer activity, it may place patients at greater risk for serotonin syndrome when combined with an antidepressant. Clinical features of serotonin syndrome may include spontaneous clonus, tremor, hyperreflexia, agitation, diaphoresis and hyperthermia and can range in severity from mild to severe or fatal. The actual risk of developing serotonin syndrome due to the combination of procarbazine and an antidepressant is unclear and documentation of this interaction is not well supported. Drug interaction databases offer conflicting information and a literature review reveals no case reports signaling the development of serotonin syndrome from the combination of procarbazine and an antidepressant. Currently there is no guidance on antidepressant selection or the management of depression in patients who are treated with procarbazine. Because the incidence of depression in cancer patients may be more than four times greater than that of the general population, the interaction between procarbazine and antidepressants warrants further investigation.
ANTIDEPRESSANT PRESCRIBING AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TREATMENT ASSOCIATED WITH COMMUNITY-BASED DEPRESSION SCREENING
To estimate differences in prescribing of new antidepressant medications, stress management, psychotherapy, and other mental health (OMH) counseling at physician visits where documented depression screening was performed.
EFFECTS OF DECREASED VITAMIN D LEVELS ON THE ALLOCATION OF HEALTHCARE RESOURCES IN DEPRESSED PATIENTS
Recently, an increasing number of studies have investigated vitamin D levels and effects on cognitive function and mental health. Treatment of depression includes both direct and indirect costs, and to the best of our knowledge, there is no data investigating whether low vitamin D levels in depressed patients leads to consumption of more resources and increased healthcare costs. This study aims to evaluate the amount of resources utilized to treat depressed patients with concomitant decreased vitamin D levels.
Evaluation of organic cation transporter 3 (SLC22A3) inhibition as a potential mechanism of antidepressant action
Organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3, SLC22A3) is a low-affinity, high-capacity transporter widely expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and other major organs in both humans and rodents. It is postulated that OCT3 has a role in the overall regulation of neurotransmission and maintenance of homeostasis within the CNS. It is generally believed that all antidepressant drugs in current clinical use exert their primary therapeutic effects through inhibition of one or more of the high-affinity neuronal plasma membrane monoamine transporters, such as the norepinephrine transporter and the serotonin transporter.
Current Prescribing Practices: Antidepressant Use in Schizophrenia
To examine a sample of hospitalized patients with schizophrenia to determine the proportion for whom antidepressants were prescribed and if demographic or clinical variables distinguished these patients from others with schizophrenia.