Antidepressant Agents Flashcards
Major Depressive or Unipolar Disorder:
lifetime prevalence?
5-20%
Major Depressive or Unipolar Disorder consists of core depressive symptoms plus “_______ symptoms”
vegetative (ie abnormal sleep/motor activity)
Major Depressive or Unipolar Disorder:
Pts are most responsive to?
Usually responds specifically to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or antidepressants
Pharmacotherapy» psychotherapy
Dysthmia= is a _____ form of depression
milder**–> generally no long-term responses to drug therapy but pharmacotherapy is superior to placebo
Dysthymia:
higher in males or females?
3x higher in females
Bipolar Disorder 1=
Cyclic, episodes of mania (bipolar I)
Bipolar 2=
hypomania, depressed mood
Psychotic Sx can be present in Bipolar 1 or 2?
Elevated, expressive, or irritable mood –> psychotic symptoms can be present in bipolar I
Factors favoring treatment with an antidepressant (list 4)
Presence of agitation or problems with sleep or appetite
Moderate to severe symptoms
History of response to antidepressant therapy
Patient preference
For treatment resistant depression, what are some medication options?
first–> try switching meds, or combining antidepressants
Buspirone (anti- anxiety), or atypical antipsychotics ( i.e. aripiprazole-olanzapine-quetiapine), OR
Lamotrigine or Lithium (mood stabilizers)
Symptoms of Depression At least 5 of 9 for at least 2 weeks: SIGECAPS
Sleep* – too much or too little*
Interest – decreased loss of interest in life – anhedonia
Guilt – increased feelings of worthlessness
Energy* – decreased*
Concentration - decreased
Appetite – increased or decreased –> >5% change in body weight in 1 month*
Psychomotor agitation/retardation*
Suicidal ideation – thoughts about death or suicide
Monoamine Theory of Depression:
what is the initial observation?
Reserpine (used as anti-hypertensive) depleted brain NE and 5HT –> induced depression
**Effective antidepressant drugs shared property of enhancing availability of NE-5HT in synapse
–overall lacking support
Shift in Focus of Hypotheses for Depression:
Dysregulation=
synaptic changes=
Dysregulation of pre-and post-synaptic control of NE-5HT neurotransmission
Synaptic changes produced by antidepressants then lead to alterations of gene expression
An adequate trial of medication for treatment of depression generally would be:
4-8 weeks
A 25-year-old woman has a long history of depressive symptoms accompanied by body aches and pain secondary to a car accident 2 years ago. Physical and laboratory tests are unremarkable. Which of the following drugs might be useful in this patient?
Amitriptyline (TCAD) Fluoxetine (SSRI) Sertraline (SSRI) Mirtazapine (α2 antagonist) Duloxetine (SNRI)
Amytriptiline= cheaper, and good for neuropathic pain
and Duloxetine
Newer agent for Treatment resistant depression that is an NMDA receptor antagonist is known as _______
- *S-ketamine
- -> recently approved for intranasal tx, unknown mechanism. BUT it’s expensive: $1200 for 4 weeks, administered 2x a week/for 4 weeks
New drug for post-partum depression which is a Positive allosteric modulator (PAM) is known as _______
Brexanolone (Zulresso)
=a neuroactive steroid (NAS) that binds to a different subunit (δ) on GABA-A receptor than benzodiazepines (α)
IV infusion over 60 hours with medical supervision - significant improvement in symptoms at 60 hrs - maintained 30 days
Sedation and sudden loss of consciousness possible
Cost of drug alone currently $34,000
List some acute S/E of SSRIs
Acute effects –often diminish over time)
Nausea-diarrhea [5HT3] (increase 5HT effects in GI tract)
Activation-insomnia (commonly)
Restlessness [5HT2] (akathisia), somnolence possible
List some delayed onset S/E of SSRIs
Weight gain
Sexual dysfunction [5HT3]
Cognitive blunting
SSRIs fatality rate?
Withdrawal Sx?
Very low likelihood of fatalities in OD
w/drawal–>Flu-like or neurologic symptoms –> severity related to half-life (shorter > longer
Which SSRI will result in greater withdrawal sx? [paroxetine or fluoxetine?
[paroxetine > fluoxetine])
shorter half life» longer
SNRI’s S/E: list
**Venlafaxine - Duloxetine
Hypertension, anxiety, nausea, somnolence, sweating, dizziness, sexual dysfxn
**More rapid appearance of withdrawal symptoms than SSRIs, except paroxetine
Norepinephrine Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitors (NDRIs): list 1 example of a med & it’s S/E
Bupropion!
Dizziness, dry mouth, tremor, insomnia, anxiety, aggravation of psychosis
**Potential for seizures at high doses