NEW ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND THE TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION

Depression is a common and significant health problem associated with impairment in a patient's ability to function. The development of new antidepressant medications represents progress in its treatment. These new agents through the selective blockade of the re-uptake of seroton in into the presynaptic neuron, thereby increasing the availability of this neurotransmitter at the synaptic cleft and enhancing its effecti veness. While no more effective than traditional tricyclic antidepress ant drugs, the new agents are generally safer than traditional medicat ions used to treat depression: they are well tolerated and, in case of overdose, less harmful than tricyclic antidepressants.