VORTIOXETINE ñ THE NEW ANTIDEPRESSANT AGENT WITH PROCOGNITIVE PROPERTIES

Depression symptoms resulting from cognitive function impairment are emphasized by both DSM5 and ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder and depressive episodes. Nonetheless, the role of cognitive dysfunctions seem to remain underestimated in case of depressive disorders, thus they are rarely perceived as therapeutic target. Vortioxetine is a relatively new, multi-functional agent. With its unique properties and strong affinity towards serotonin transporter (5-HTT), vortioxetine is a modulator and stimulator of serotonergic transmission. Vortioxetine is an antidepressant drug suitable for therapy in various types of depression: severe, anxiety-associated, and of elders. It acts equally strong as SNRIs or agomelatine and has favorable effects on cognitive functioning. Although vortioxetine has not undergone comprehensive preclinical testing, the available data indicate that this particular agent may be more advantageous in terms of its procognitive effects, as compared to other drugs ñ which often seemed to be analogous in preclinical and clinical testing. In vitro examination of hippocampal pyramidal cells revealed that vortioxetine improves both synaptic transmission and neuroplasticity responsible for memory and learning patterns. Contrary to fluoxetine, the long-term treatment with use of vortioxetine on mice resulted in enhanced visual and spatial memory, along with reduced occurrence of typical depressive behavior. In addition, vortioxetine is a very first drug efficiently augmenting cognitive function in adults diagnosed with severe depressive episode, irrespective of its curative potential on the affective sphere. It may exert even stronger direct effect (assessed with DSST) on cognitive functions than duloxetine. With its supplementary capacity of acting directly on several subtypes of serotonin receptors, vortioxetine is certainly more than just a SSRI. It has been proved that it is as effective as venlafaxine and more efficient than agomelatine in MDD treatment, additionally exerting procognitive effects. In addition, vortioxetine may be beneficial in overcoming sexual dysfunction in patients, who have been suffering from such condition as a result of treatment with other antidepressant agents. The drug is generally well tolerated with the most prevalent side effects being mild to moderate nausea along with (mostly transient) headaches. Vortioxetine may significantly improve the quality of life in patients suffering from depression.