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. 2005 Mar;1(1):3-7.
doi: 10.2147/nedt.1.1.3.52293.

Enhancing central noradrenergic function in depression: is there still a place for a new antidepressant?

Roger M Pinder  1
Affiliations

Enhancing central noradrenergic function in depression: is there still a place for a new antidepressant?

Roger M Pinder. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2005 Mar.

Abstract

Noradrenaline has long played a key role in the way the etiology of depression is conceptualized and in the mechanism of action of many current antidepressants. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (NRIs), the noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant (NaSSA) mirtazapine, and many atypicals, like mianserin and bupropion, influence, at least in part, central noradrenergic function. Enhancement of noradrenergic function may be particularly helpful in patients with melancholia. However, while noradrenaline will continue to be a target for research into the etiology and treatment of depression, it is unlikely that antidepressants acting solely on noradrenaline will be pursued.

Keywords: alpha2-adrenoceptors; antidepressants; depression; noradrenaline; reuptake.

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