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Antidepressants and memory: A review
Author(s) -
Thompson P. J.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/hup.470060202
Subject(s) - antidepressant , depression (economics) , psychiatry , neurotransmitter systems , psychology , medicine , differential effects , memory problems , clinical psychology , neuroscience , disease , anxiety , dementia , dopamine , economics , macroeconomics
Antidepressant medications have been in general use since the late 1950s. Many patients are treated as outpatients and often continue with their normal routines during treatment. Individuals may undertake activities where any change in memory functioning, negative or positive, might have important consequences. Furthermore, many antidepressants have similar efficacy. Information about differential effects upon memory would seem valuable information for the clinician to have at his or her disposal. This paper reviews available evidence on the effects of antidepressants on human memory. Many studies have involved the single or short‐term administration of antidepressants to healthy volunteers, thereby not acknowledging that depression per se has a negative impact on memory processes. Even in the studies on patient samples, groups very with regard to type and severity of depression, dosage and duration of treatment. Limited evidence, however, does suggest that antidepressants may exert differential effects upon memory functioning which could be predicted from their action on specific neurotransmitter system.