Use of Dopaminergic Agents in the Treatment-Resistant Depression

Title:Use of Dopaminergic Agents in the Treatment-Resistant Depression

Volume: 4

Author(s): Lorena Rodríguez-Bores, Mónica Flores-Ramos and Rafael Campuzano

Affiliation:

Keywords: Depression, dopaminergic agents, treatment-resistant depression, prmipexole

Abstract: Background: The term Treatment- Resistant Depression is frequently used to describe patients that show poor response to conventional antidepressant therapy. Therefore a search for better and more efficacious treatment options is needed. The dopaminergic hypothesis for depression has been an attractive topic according to the growing evidence from basic research and clinical trials that have suggested the important role of this neurotransmitter in the pathophysiology of depression. Currently, the dopaminergic drugs used in clinical practice are employed mainly for neuropsychiatric conditions and some of them specifically pramipexole and ropirinole have exhibited an antidepressant action that had led to the postulate that these may be considered as potential agents with antidepressive effects.

Objective: Our aim was to explore current data from preclinical and clinical trials that place pramipexole and ropirinole as options for augmentation strategies.

Method: We performed a literature review about the use of dopaminergic agents to provide an overview about its efficacy and safety in the treatment of treatment-resistant depression.

Conclusion: Reviewing briefly the hypothetical role of dopamine mechanisms in depression, the findings from basic research, nonclinical studies and clinical trials, we certainly can say that dopaminergic drugs had brought a broad opportunity with novel benefits and risks to the mood disorders treatment, although further research and more randomized controlled trials in larger samples are needed to prove their efficacy and safety.

Cite this article as:

Rodríguez-Bores Lorena, Flores-Ramos Mónica and Campuzano Rafael, Use of Dopaminergic Agents in the Treatment-Resistant Depression, Current Psychopharmacology 2015; 4 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/2211556004666151008214105