Review of pharmacological treatment in mood disorders and future directions for drug development.

ABSTRACT: After a series of serendipitous discoveries of pharmacological treatments for mania and depression several decades ago, relatively little progress has been made for novel hypothesis-driven drug development in mood disorders. Multifactorial etiologies of, and lack of a full understanding of, the core neurobiology of these conditions clearly have contributed to these development challenges. There are, however, relatively novel targets that have raised opportunities for progress in the field, such as glutamate and cholinergic receptor modulators, circadian regulators, and enzyme inhibitors, for alternative treatment. This review will discuss these promising new treatments in mood disorders, the underlying mechanisms of action, and critical issues of their clinical application. For these new t

SUBMITTER: Li X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3238080 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature