Treatment: Antidepressant Drugs

Question 1

what are the 4 drug classes?

Answer 1

SSRI’s, TCAs, MAOIs, Novel or Duel

Question 2

these classes of drugs normalize levels of what in the brain?

Answer 2

serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, thus, their neurotransmission at the synapse

Question 3

what is synaptic pruning?

Answer 3

when connections between nerve cells are not used, nerve cells atrophy and volume decreases

Question 4

why does antidepressant response take days to weeks?

Answer 4

bc it requires sufficient time for the levels of BDNF to gradually rise an exert synaptic and nerve cell sprouting

Question 5

antidepressants increase what?

Answer 5

BDNF and effect synaptic plasticity by increasing the activity of neurotransmitters in the synapse
- may also increase synaptic sprouting of rewiring of connections which are dysregulated at the synapse

Question 6

when do the clinical antidepressant effects start to occur?

Answer 6

only after chronic admin of days to weeks

Question 7

when Tx begins, what happens with connections?

Answer 7

they are used and formed and Bain volume in the areas implicated in depression increase