SSRIs block the reuptake of serotonin, meaning more serotonin than usual remains available in the synaptic space between the two nerves. This eases the symptoms of depression resulting from the ...

Professor Knudsen continued, “This points towards two main conclusions. Firstly, it indicates that SSRIs increase synaptic density in the brain areas critically involved in depression.

In fact, SSRIs often don’t work. Scientists estimate that over 30 percent of patients don’t benefit from this class of antidepressants.

The drugs work almost immediately yet it is well-known that patients generally take at least four to six weeks to begin feeling benefits. So why do SSRI antidepressants take so long to start working?

The research is weakened by its reliance on observations of cells in culture rather than in actual patients. The SSRI dose typically delivered to a patient’s brain is actually a fraction of what ...

For example, although the major class of antidepressants, SSRIs, do slow down synaptic re-uptake of serotonin, at least temporarily increasing serotonin levels, recent studies show there is very ...

A recent study explores the delayed action of antidepressants. By John Lopez Published: Oct 15 2023, 09:35 AM EDT ...

The effectiveness of SSRIs in treating major depression bolstered the theory that this and other mental illnesses are caused by an imbalance in neurotransmitters in the brain.

In a study of 50 adults, the researchers found that platelets were slower to clump together, or aggregate, in participants who were taking an SSRI to treat depression. As depression is associated ...

Antidepressants—including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs—are widely prescribed for depression, anxiety, and DGBIs.

The typical lag between treatment initiation with SSRIs for depression and enhanced mood may be because of the time it takes to increase brain synaptic density, new imaging data suggest.