Aripiprazole is an atypical anti-psychotic drug marketed by Bristol-Meyers Squib under the trade name Abilify. According to PubMed Health, aripiprazole is approved for the treatment of schizophrenia, mania and bipolar depression. It may also be used in conjunction with an anti-depressant for the treatment of depression that has not responded to anti-depressant treatment alone.
Symptoms of Depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder that is estimated to affect about 5 to 8 percent of the adult population in the U.S. per year, explains the National Alliance on Mental Illness. MayoClinic.com explains that symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness, hopelessness and irritability. Depressed people find that they have lost interest in normal activities, have decreased sex drive and a change in appetite and sleep patterns. Depression may also cause people to have uncontrollable crying spells and thoughts of death or suicide.
Depression and Brain Chemistry
The brain uses special molecules called neurotransmitters to communicate messages that control how we feel, how we act and what we do. Depression is thought to be caused, in part, by abnormalities in the regulation of certain neurotransmitters, namely serotonin, dopamine and norepinepherine, explains the text "Essential Psychopharmacology."
Actions of Antidepressants
Antidepressant medications aim to replenish or increase the availability of the neurotransmitters thought to be abnormally regulated in the brain of a depressed individual, explains the text "Essential Psychopharmacology." Some of these drugs increase the activity of serotonin and are known as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors pr SSRIs. Other drugs target norepinepherine as well as serotonin; these are the serotonin norepinepherine re-uptake inhibitors or SNRIs. A drug called bupropion is an anti-depressant that works by increasing the activity of norepinepherine and dopamine. Older antidepressant medications called monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or MAOIs, and tricyclic antidepressants are falling out of use in the clinical treatment of depression because of unwanted side effects.
How Abilify Helps
Manufacturer Bristol-Meyers Squibb explains that aripiprazole may be useful in treating depression when added to antidepressant therapy because it acts to modify the activity of serotonin and dopamine. The text "Molecular Neuropharmacology" adds that the drug is able to adapt to the needs of the patient, increasing or decreasing dopamine activity in an effort to bring biochemical balance to the brain.
Considerations
Depression is a debilitating illness that can have a profound effect on an individual's quality of life. MayoClinic.com explains that untreated depression can lead to major life complications, including substance abuse, anxiety, relationship problems, work problems and heart disease. Most anti-depressant medications must be taken for several weeks before a patient feels the drug's full effects, explains the text "Essential Psychopharmacology." If you are suffering from depression that seems to be resistant to treatment with antidepressants, a health care professional can help you to decide if Abilify may be a beneficial addition to your therapy.
References
- "Molecular Neuropharmacology" ; Nestler, Hyman, and Malenka; 2009
- PubMed Health: Aripiprazole
- National Alliance on Mental Illness: Depression
- MayoClinic.com: Major Depression
- "Essential Psychopharmacology, Second Edition"; Stephen Stahl; 2002
