April 14, 2004Back to the table of Contents Page
Classifieds
Palo Alto Online
|
Publication Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2004
THIS COULD USE A GRAPHIC of a BRAIN
What's an SSRI -- and how does it work?
What's an SSRI -- and how does it work?
(April 14, 2004)
Depression starts with a chemical imbalance in the brain.
Normally, molecules known as neurotransmitters carry messages between the brain's nerve cells. Sometimes, however, nerve cells fail to pick up the neurotransmitters, which then reattach to the nerves that produced them. The process is called "reuptake," and the imbalance that's created is thought to cause depression.
The majority of the medications under review by the U.S. Food and Drug administration are known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These help the brain by preventing reuptake of serotonin, a kind of neurotransmitter, thus making more available in the brain.
Other drugs work by increasing the supply of norepinephrine or dopamine, two other neurotransmitters.
E-mail a friend a link to this story. | [an error occurred while processing this directive] |
