Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or serotonin-specific re-uptake inhibitor <unk> s), are a class of chemical compounds that have contributed to the major advances as antidepressants where they have revolutionised the treatment of depression and other psychiatric disorders. The<unk> s are therapeutically useful in the treatment of panic disorder (PD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and anorexia. There is also clinical evidence of<unk> s efficiency in the treatment of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia and their ability to prevent cardiovascular diseases.<unk> s primarily inhibit serotonin transporter (SERT) in the brain and have negligible effects on dopamine transporter (DAT) and norepinephrine transporter (NET). Inhibiting the binding of the neurotransmitter, serotonin (5-HT), to SERT results in increased 5-HT concentration in the synaptic cleft leading to increased binding of 5-HT to postsynaptic receptors which results in improvement of depression symptoms. Today,<unk> s have dominated the market of antidepressants and are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as a first-line treatment of depression, because they typically have fewer adverse effects than other type of antidepressants with the same effectiveness.
Development and discovery of SSRI drugs
Suicide prevention
Recovered-memory therapy
Chronic fatigue syndrome treatment
Drug rehabilitation
Alternative therapies for developmental and learning disabilities
Experimental cancer treatment
Alternative cancer treatments