Antidepressant effects of the muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonist scopolamine: a review.

ABSTRACT: The muscarinic cholinergic receptor system has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression, with physiological evidence indicating this system is overactive or hyperresponsive in depression and with genetic evidence showing that variation in genes coding for receptors within this system are associated with higher risk for depression. In studies aimed at assessing whether a reduction in muscarinic cholinergic receptor function would improve depressive symptoms, the muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine manifested antidepressant effects that were robust and rapid relative to conventional pharmacotherapies. Here, we review the data from a series of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies involving subjects with unipolar or bipolar depression treated with parenteral

SUBMITTER: Drevets WC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4131859 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature