Second-generation antidepressant

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Second-generation antidepressants are used to treat depression and are a "structurally and mechanistically diverse group of drugs that are not tricyclics or monoamine oxidase inhibitors. The most clinically important appear to act selectively on serotonergic systems, especially by inhibiting serotonin reuptake."[1]

Classification

Second-generation antidepressants are classified by the biogenic amine receptor that they affect.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRI)

Serotonin 5-HT2A–receptor antagonist

Serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI)

Norepinephrine uptake inhibitor

Dopamine reuptake inhibitor

Mechanism of action

Depression may be due to the monoamine-deficiency hypothesis, which is a "deficiency in serotonin or norepinephrine neurotransmission in the brain."[2]

By blocking the reuptake by the releasing neuron of norepinephrine, serotonin or both, second-generation antidepressants may overcome the mono-amine deficiency.[3] Some members of this class, perhaps in a dose-dependent manner, also block dopamine release.

In contrast, first-generation antidepressants raise levels of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin, in the synaptic gap between the releasing and receiving neurons, by blocking one of two enzymes in the receiving cell which metabolize the three bioamines. Tricyclic antidepressants suppress catechol-O-methyl transferase, while the other class as named for the enzyme they suppress, monoamine oxidase inhibitors.


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Effectiveness

Regarding the use of second-generation antidepressants, clinical practice guidelines by the American College of Physicians recommend:[4] [5]

  • "when clinicians choose pharmacologic therapy to treat patients with acute major depression, they select second-generation antidepressants on the basis of adverse effect profiles, cost, and patient preferences"
  • "second-generation antidepressants did not significantly differ in efficacy, effectiveness, or quality of life. Mirtazapine had a significantly faster onset of action"
  • "when treating symptom clusters in patients with accompanying depression, second-generation antidepressants did not differ in efficacy in treating accompanying anxiety, pain, and somatization. Limited evidence suggests that some agents may be more effective in treating insomnia"
  • "most of the second-generation antidepressants had similar adverse effects...paroxetine was associated with an increased risk for sexual dysfunction."

The effectiveness is antidepressants depends on the severity of a patient's depression. This relationship may be due to thedeclining effect of placebo among more severely depressed patients.[6]

The effectiveness of antidepressants depending on severity of depression[6]
American Psychiatric Association classification of severity[7] Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) Number needed to treat Clinical significance (NICE)[8]
Mild to moderate < 19 16 No
Severe 19 - 22 11 No
Very severe > 22 4 Yes

Meta-analyses conflict about the relative effectiveness of the second-generation antidepressants with no difference reported[9] and superiority of sertraline and escitalopram reported. [10]

References

  1. Anonymous (2024), Second-generation antidepressants (English). Medical Subject Headings. U.S. National Library of Medicine.
  2. Belmaker RH, Agam G (2008). "Major depressive disorder". N. Engl. J. Med. 358 (1): 55–68. DOI:10.1056/NEJMra073096. PMID 18172175. Research Blogging.
  3. Katzung, Bertram G. (2006). “Antidepressant Agents”, Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, 10th. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical Publishing Division. ISBN 0-07-145153-6. 
  4. Gartlehner, Gerald; Bradley N. Gaynes, Richard A. Hansen, Patricia Thieda, Angela DeVeaugh-Geiss, Erin E. Krebs, Charity G. Moore, Laura Morgan, Kathleen N. Lohr (2008-11-18). "Comparative Benefits and Harms of Second-Generation Antidepressants: Background Paper for the American College of Physicians". Ann Intern Med 149 (10): 734-750. Retrieved on 2008-11-18.
  5. Qaseem, Amir; Vincenza Snow, Thomas D. Denberg, Mary Ann Forciea, Douglas K. Owens, for the Clinical Efficacy Assessment Subcommittee of the American College of Physicians (2008-11-18). "Using Second-Generation Antidepressants to Treat Depressive Disorders: A Clinical Practice Guideline from the American College of Physicians". Ann Intern Med 149 (10): 725-733. Retrieved on 2008-11-18.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Lo B (2010). "Commentary: Conflict of interest policies: an opportunity for the medical profession to take the lead.". Acad Med 85 (1): 9-11. DOI:10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181c46e96. PMID 20042812. Research Blogging.
  7. First, Michael B. (2007). Handbook of Psychiatric Measures, Second Edition. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 1-58562-218-4. 
  8. National Institute for Clinical Excellence. Depression: Management of Depression in Primary and Secondary Care. London, England: National Institute for Clinical Excellence; 2004.
  9. Gartlehner, Gerald; Bradley N. Gaynes, Richard A. Hansen, Patricia Thieda, Angela DeVeaugh-Geiss, Erin E. Krebs, Charity G. Moore, Laura Morgan, Kathleen N. Lohr (2008-11-18). "Comparative Benefits and Harms of Second-Generation Antidepressants: Background Paper for the American College of Physicians". Ann Intern Med 149 (10): 734-750. Retrieved on 2008-11-18.
  10. Cipriani A. et al (2009). Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 12 new-generation antidepressants: a multiple-treatments meta-analysis. The Lancet DOI:10.1016/s0140-6736(09)60046-5