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Dopamine agonist‐responsive depression
Author(s) -
Hori Hiroaki,
Kunugi Hiroshi
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
psychogeriatrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.647
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1479-8301
pISSN - 1346-3500
DOI - 10.1111/psyg.12014
Subject(s) - dopamine , dopaminergic , depression (economics) , dopamine agonist , agonist , medicine , dopamine receptor , dopamine receptor d2 , psychology , dopaminergic pathways , dopamine receptor d3 , neuroscience , pharmacology , receptor , economics , macroeconomics
Dopaminergic dysfunction is implicated in the pathophysiology of treatment‐resistant depression. In this review, we describe the putative role of dopamine in depression, summarize the evidence for the efficacy of dopamine receptor agonists in the treatment of treatment‐resistant depression, and discuss the underlying mechanisms by which these medications work. Both preclinical and clinical data suggest that adjunctive dopamine agonists could be a promising option for the treatment of such a condition, indicating that there is a dopamine agonist‐responsive subgroup of depression. Future clinical studies are warranted to clarify unresolved issues regarding dopamine agonists such as long‐term efficacy, efficacy as a monotherapy, and efficacy for juvenile and senile depression. Further basic research is also necessary to fully understand how dopamine acts in the brain of depressed patients.