Anti-Aging Today!

The future of antidepressant pharmacotherapy

Although there are many drugs and psychotherapies available for the treatment of depression, the overall care of depressed patients is usually far from optimal. This review examines how care might be improved in the future, by considering a number of alternative approaches: enhanced use of existing treatments, modifications to existing antidepressant drugs, new targets for antidepressant pharmacotherapy, and non-pharmacological physical treatments. It examines how advances in genetics and neuroscience may lead towards individualised drug treatment, but concludes cautiously, emphasising that theoretical treatment advances can only improve clinical outcomes if used rationally, in collaboration with the patient.

When considering the future of antidepressant treatment, the properties of the notional ‘ideal antidepressant’ need to be examined (Table 1). Clearly, no such drug exists at present. Furthermore, advances in neuroscience may lead to the development of more efficacious antidepressants, but if these are not readily acceptable to depressed patients the impact of new technologies is likely to be limited.

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