Glutamatergic antidepressants

Abstract

Conventional antidepressants are associated with low remission rates, and a lag in antidepressant response. There is a shifting focus in depression to the role of neuromodulators, chronobiology and nonmonoamine neurotransmitters in depression. There are animal and human studies implicating dysfunction in glutamate neurotransmission in depression. Lamotrigine has established antidepressant properties, and clear effects on glutamate. Currently researched agents include ketamine (N-Methyl-d-aspartic acid receptor antagonist), 2-amino-3-(5-methyl-3-oxo-1,2- oxazol-4-yl)propanoic acid and kainate receptor modulators and metabotropic receptors antagonists. N-acetyl cysteine, which has glutamatergi..