Approximately 4-10% of the British population suffers from depression in their lifetime. Depression can manifest in people of all ages but is most common in people between the age of 20 and 30. The symptoms of depression are melancholy, lack of initiative, sleep disorders, tiredness, and sadness. A depression can be treated with psychotherapeutic initiatives along with antidepressants. It has been known since the 1960’s, that serotonin levels in the brain is reduced during a depression. Therefore, antidepressants are designed to promote the reusability of serotonin and increase the concentration of serotonin in the brain. The goal is to limit the quantity of serotonin, being absorbed and degraded by cells. The medical term for this interaction is ‘Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor’ or SSRI.
Scientist Claus Normann and his colleagues from Freiburg University Hospital, examined this interaction in more detail. Here they got the suspicion, that reuptake inhibition was not the only effect of antidepressants. Experiments on mice showed that there is another hidden effect. The experiment involved giving mice antidepressants, where one group received regular antidepressants and the other group received a modified version, designed not to inhibit serotonin reuptake. After the mice received the medication, they were subjected to certain stress factors linked to the development of depression-like behaviour.
Effect on neural pathways
The results are astonishing, and the scientists explain that the medication retained its antidepressant effect, even after the reuptake mechanism was blocked. The results can probably be explained in the way the mice must adapt to stressful situations. When a stressful situation occurs, new neural pathways are formed in the brain. When suffering from depression, the ability to form these neural pathways is reduced. The scientists proved that SSRIs can help normalise the formation of neural pathways in depressive mice.
The results show that antidepressants not only affect the serotonin concentration. In addition, to an increased concentration of serotonin, the medication also stimulates the formation of new neural pathways in the brain; thereby, enhancing the brains ability to adapt to stressful situations. Insight into the experiments and their results creates the possibility of new types of medications, which can help people whom have not benefitted from current medications. The scientist also explains that this is a significant step in the research; since most medications on the market are very similar and therefore not well suited for different types of illnesses.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29174591
- http://www.wissenschaft.de/leben-umwelt/medizin/-/journal_content/56/12054/21464090/Antidepressiva%3A-Doppelter-Effekt/
- https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics/mental-health-statistics-most-common-mental-health-problems
- https://www.webmd.com/depression/ssris-myths-and-facts-about-antidepressants#1
