PSYCH261 Chapter Notes - Chapter 14: Mania, Bipolar Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder
Document Summary
People with a major depression feel sad and helpless most of the day every day for weeks at a time. Although some people suffer from long-term depression, it is more common to have episodes of depression separated by periods of normal mood. Antidepressant drugs fall into several categories, including tricyclics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and atypical antidepressants. The tricyclics operate by blocking the transporter proteins that reabsorb serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine into the presynaptic neuron after their release. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (ssris) are similar to tricyclics but specific to the. Several newer drugs are serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (snris) which block reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. The monoamine oxidase inhibitors (maois) block the enzyme mao which is a presynaptic enzyme that metabolizes catecholamines and serotonin into inactive forms. They atypical antidepressants include everything other than the types just discussed. Ex) bupropion which inhibits reuptake of dopamine but not serotonin.