Antidepressant drugs: does it matter if they
inhibit the reuptake of noradrenaline or serotonin? 

Eriksson E

Department of Pharmacology, 
University of Goteborg, Sweden. 
Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl 2000; 402:12-7

ABSTRACT

The current popularity of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for the treatment of depression should not conceal the fact that noradrenergic neurones also seem to influence depressed mood.  Selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (NRIs) such as reboxetine thus seem to be at least as effective as the SSRIs. It has been suggested that NRIs influence depression by indirectly facilitating serotonergic transmission, or that SSRIs act by facilitating noradrenaline; however, the marked differences between SSRIs and NRIs with respect to effects and side-effect profile do not support any of these assumptions, but rather suggest that SSRIs and NRIs influence depression by parallel, independent pathways. In this review the possibility that certain symptoms within the depressive syndrome (and certain subtypes of depression) respond better to NRIs, whereas other symptoms (and subtypes) respond better to SSRIs, will be discussed. In addition, the putative usefulness of NRIs for indications other than depression will be commented upon.

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                Reboxetine  research / abstracts

         1.   Reboxetine  role in antidepressant therapy
         2.   Reboxetine  efficacy and tolerability
         3.   Reboxetine  clinical pharmacologic profile
         4.   Inhibiting  the reuptake of noradrenaline and serotonin
         5.   Reboxetine  and depression in the elderly
         6.   Reboxetine  with severe major depressive disorder
         7.   Reboxetine  clinical efficacy in major depression
         8.   Reboxetine  tolerability and safety for major depression
         9.   Reboxetine  comparison with fluoxetine
        10   Reboxetine  versus fluoxetine, impact on social functioning
        11.  Reboxetine  versus fluoxetine, differential effects
        12.  Reboxetine  prevents relapse in  major depression
        13   Reboxetine  efficacy compared with imipramine
        14.  Noradrenaline reuptake inhibition
        15.  Antidepressants  noradrenergic versus serotonergic 
        16.  Reboxetine  in the treatment of bulimia
        17.  Reboxetine  hemodynamic effects in healthy males
        18.  Reboxetine  effects of antidepressant therapy
        19.  Reboxetine  place in antidepressant therapy
        20.  Reboxetine  stimulant effects in patients with narcolepsy
        21.  Reboxetine  selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (NARI)