Work

Strategies to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of antidepressants: targeting residual symptoms

Year: 2009

Type: review

Abstract: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is an illness of great morbidity that affects many people across the world. The current goal for treatment of MDD is to achieve remission (i.e., no depressive symptoms). However, despite scientific advances in the treatment for MDD, antidepressants as first-line agents yield only modest remission rates. In fact, a recent study indicated that only one out of three subjects who received a standard, first-line antidepressant attained remission. Not achieving remission from depressive symptoms increases the risk of a more chronic and debilitating course of illness with frequent recurrences. Although a number of reasons contribute to these modest outcomes, the presence of residual symptoms is a major problem. Residual symptoms are defined as symptoms that linger despite an adequate dose and duration of an antidepressant medication. This article reviews the prevalence and clinical impact of common residual symptoms and discusses the utility of aggressively addressing residual symptoms to enhance the efficacy of antidepressant medications.

Source: Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics

DOI: 10.1586/ern.09.53

Authors: Benji T Kurian, Tracy L Greer, Madhukar H Trivedi

Institution: The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Language: English

Topic: Treatment of Major Depression

Subfield: Pharmacology (medical)

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health