Millions of people use antidepressants that increase a chemical called serotonin and are thought to help treat depression. A common class of these medications is referred to as SSRIs, and they are also considered anxiety medications. On the other hand, there are controversial discussions about the use of these drugs, especially the lack of data on their long-term effectiveness, as well as our insufficient understanding of how they work.
However, cognitive tests on the use of one of these drugs suggest that it may improve our mental abilities.
Mood, knowledge and understanding also improved
After the volunteer study went through an initial assessment, they were prescribed a daily dose of the drug “Escitalopram,” which belongs to that drug group. The tests were repeated at the end of the eight-week treatment period for 40 patients, followed by a final round of cognitive and mood assessments at week 12.
Memory development
After the treatment period, patients noticed a 10 percent decrease in cells that responded to serotonin medications compared to their condition before taking the drug. Patients also showed improvements in cognitive tests related to memory, especially in their ability to remember words.
In contrast, some patients showed less change in some aspects of the serotonin effect, but showed more improvement in verbal memory. Interestingly, changes in verbal memory were not associated with improved mood in depressed individuals.
In this context, Dam explains that her work addressed the correlation between the improvement in cognitive functions and the effects of serotonin, noting that it is believed that the increase of the substance this is “important for increasing the cognitive abilities of antidepressants.”
Depression and bad memory?
As a reminder, researchers have shown in previous research that people with depression who have not been treated with serotonin medications may be less responsive to normal levels of serotonin, compared to healthy people. Dam and her team suggest that this may explain why people with dementia often have memory problems.
On the other hand, the neuroscientist at the University of Copenha, Aan Kaybe Vrijjar, believes, “This is a preliminary result, so we need to do a lot of work to study the effect of this.”
In addition, ethical restrictions prevented the use of placebo alternatives to antidepressant medications, which reduced the certainty that the results observed by the researchers in the above study were integrated into monitor the effects of medications that raise the level of “serotonin” in the brain.
Frikjar said that this study shows the possibility of improving the response of cells to serotonin, “so that we can deal with cognitive problems, even if the patient has recovered from the basic symptoms of depression or not.” “
Emotional problem about “serotonin”
As a result, the question has become whether medications that raise the level of “serotonin” are effective for the treatment of depression, since several studies have raised doubts about it. this, especially regarding the direct mechanical connection between the level of “serotonin” in the brain and the state of pathological depression.
On the other hand, this data does not mean to stop taking medications that raise the level of serotonin as a treatment for depression, at least without consulting a doctor. This is because uncontrolled discontinuation of these medications may have adverse effects. In addition, these medications may have ways of adversely affecting depression that scientists have yet to see.
In addition, the researchers pointed out in the research paper published in “Biological Psychiatry” (literally translated, Biological Psychiatry) that more studies should be done in the future with the aim of more shed light on the mechanisms of action of such anti-depressant medications. which increases serotonin levels in the brain.
2024-10-01 08:52:00
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