Abstrakt

Due to the inadequate effectiveness of pharmacological methods currently being utilized in the treatment of depression, there is an ongoing need to find newer and safer treatment strategies. Studies undertaken to date aimed at finding more effective methods for the treatment of affective disorders have been widened to incorporate other neurotransmission systems. Experiments with compounds that modify the function of the glutamatergic system highlight a new direction in the study of affective disorder treatment methods. It has been shown that one of the key mechanisms in achieving an antidepressant effect is by weakening the function of the NMDA receptor. Pre-clinical as well as clinical trials have revealed that compounds that modulate the activity of the NMDA receptor are characterized by a significant antidepressant effect which identifies them as potential antidepressant medications. In this study an attempt was made at identifying the role of the NMDA receptor in the pathogenesis and therapy of depressive disorders as well as the influence of ligands (especially antagonist) of this receptor on the function of classical antidepressant medications. Results shown in the attached studies by numerous scientists will in the future potentially add to the development of more effective and safer therapies for patients with affective disorders as well as offering a potential alternative in the treatment of drug resistant forms of depression.

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