This class of antidepressants, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), may be especially risky early on in a pregnancy, the study suggests. Children who were exposed to the drugs during the first trimester were nearly four times as likely to develop an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with unexposed children, according to the study, which appears in the Archives of Gene...

BACKGROUND Despite the prevalence of depression in the elderly, there is a shortage of randomized controlled studies comparing the efficacy of various antidepressant classes in this population. OBJECTIVES This review of recent data on the treatment of depression in the elderly examined the relative efficacy of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and 2 antidepressant classes ha...

BACKGROUND Cognitive dysfunction is often present in major depressive disorder (MDD). Several clinical trials have noted a pro-cognitive effect of antidepressants in MDD. The objective of the current systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the pooled efficacy of antidepressants on various domains of cognition in MDD. METHODS Trials published prior to April 15, 2015, were identified ...

BACKGROUND In 2006, a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alert warned about the potential life-threatening risk of serotonin syndrome when triptans are used in combination with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or selective serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). This American Headache Society Position Paper further reviews the available evidence of the potential ...

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are among the most effective antidepressants available, although their poor tolerance at usual recommended doses and toxicity in overdose make them difficult to use. While selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are better tolerated than TCAs, they have their own specific problems, such as the aggravation of sexual dysfunction, interaction with coadminis...

The new anticonvulsant, lamotrigine, is becoming an important tool in the treatment of bipolar disorder, including bipolar depression. Its efficacy in bipolar depression might be linked to its inhibition of serotonin uptake. We present the case of a female schizoaffective patient successfully treated with 400 mg of lamotrigine developing considerable genital disorder, a side effect well known f...

For a long time, there has been a misconception that all antidepressant drugs have proconvulsant effects. Yet, antidepressants of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) families have been not only shown to be safe when used in patients with epilepsy (PWE) but have been found to display antiepileptic properties in animal models of...

Circadian rhythm abnormalities, as shown by sleep/wake cycle disturbances, constitute one the most prevalent signs of depressive illness, advances or delays in the circadian phase, or changes in rhythms' amplitude, being documented in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), seasonal affective disorder or bipolar disorder. The disturbances in the amplitude and rhythm of melatonin secretio...

BACKGROUND Although several studies show that there is an increased risk of bleeding events during antidepressant treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), few studies show direct effects in vitro of SSRIs on hemostasis. METHODS This study was undertaken to investigate the effects on platelet adhesion and plasma coagulation (APTT and PT) of two common SSRIs, citalopram a...

Background: Although several studies show that there is an increased risk of bleeding events during antidepressant treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), few studies show direct effects in vitro of SSRIs on hemostasis. Methods: This study was undertaken to investigate the effects on platelet adhesion and plasma coagulation (APTT and PT) of two common SSRIs, citalopram a...