Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or serotonin-specific re-uptake inhibitor (SSRIs), are a class of chemical compounds that have application as antidepressants and in the treatment of depression and other psychiatric disorders. SSRIs are therapeutically useful in the treatment of panic disorder (PD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and anorexia. There is also clinical evidence of the value of SSRIs in the treatment of the symptoms of schizophrenia and their ability to prevent cardiovascular diseases.[1]
SSRIs primarily inhibit serotonin transporter (SERT) in the brain and have negligible effects on dopamine transporter (DAT) and norepinephrine transporter (NET). Inhibiting the binding of the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) to SERT results in increased 5-HT concentration in the synaptic cleft leading to increased binding of 5-HT to postsynaptic receptors. This was once thought to be the mechanism that resulted in improvement of depression symptoms,[2] however more recent systematic review of the academic literature has established that there is no correlation between 5-HT concentration or activity in the brain and depressive symptoms.[3]
SSRIs have dominated the market for antidepressants[1] and are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as a first-line treatment of depression, because they tend to have fewer adverse effects than other type of antidepressants with the same effectiveness.[4]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Spinkswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Stahl SM (1998). "Mechanism of action of serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors: Serotonin receptors and pathways mediate therapeutic effects and side effects". Journal of Affective Disorders. 51 (3): 215–235. doi:10.1016/S0165-0327(98)00221-3. PMID 10333979.
- ^ Moncrieff J (2023). "The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence". Nature Molecular Psychiatry. 28 (8): 3243–3256. doi:10.1038/s41380-022-01661-0. PMC 10618090. PMID 35854107.
- ^ National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (28 October 2009). "Depression in adults: The treatment and management of depression in adults". National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Retrieved 30 October 2014.