Natural Psychoplastogens As Antidepressant Agents.

Jakub Benko,Stanislava Vranková

doi:10.3390/molecules25051172

Abstract

Increasing prevalence and burden of major depressive disorder presents an unavoidable problem for psychiatry. Existing antidepressants exert their effect only after several weeks of continuous treatment. In addition, their serious side effects and ineffectiveness in one-third of patients call for urgent action. Recent advances have given rise to the concept of psychoplastogens. These compounds are capable of fast structural and functional rearrangement of neural networks by targeting mechanisms previously implicated in the development of depression. Furthermore, evidence shows that they exert a potent acute and long-term positive effects, reaching beyond the treatment of psychiatric diseases. Several of them are naturally occurring compounds, such as psilocybin, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, and 7,8-dihydroxyflavone. Their pharmacology and effects in animal and human studies were discussed in this article.

Highlights

Depression is the most common and debilitating mental disease
In 2008, it was ranked as the 3rd and projected to be the 1st leading cause of disability by Neurotransmitter and neuroplasticity dysregulation, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis) hyperactivation, and chronic subclinical inflammation have been identified as contributing factors along with psychological ones [2]
The recent adoption of ketamine for treatment-resistant depression is an important improvement of the situation

Summary

Introduction

Depression is the most common and debilitating mental disease. In 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO). Projected that depression would increase from 4th to 2nd most frequent cause of world-wide disability by 2020 [1]. In 2008, it was ranked as the 3rd and projected to be the 1st leading cause of disability by 2030 [2]. Selective reuptake inhibitors, targeting monoamines, have been developed to normalize most of these changes. These drugs have been enjoying some success and are able to induce remission, approximately one-third of patients show no response to any class, while other patients respond only partially. New therapeutic approaches are being intensively developed. Research using deep-brain, vagus nerve and transcranial magnetic stimulation, and dissociative anesthetics or psychedelics have produced promising results [2,3,4]

Methods

Results

Conclusion