Medscape: ‘No evidence low serotonin causes depression?’

Selected excerpts:

“There is no convincing evidence that low serotonin levels are the primary cause of depression. This is the conclusion of an ‘exhaustive’ review by UK investigators, published online July 20 in Molecular Psychiatry, which upends the widely held belief that depression is the result of lower levels, or reduced activity, of the chemical. Researchers say the results call antidepressant use into question.”

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“‘The serotonin hypothesis of depression still remains to be fully understood, [but that] does not negate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of serotonin-based antidepressants,’ said Roger McIntyre, MD, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology, University of Toronto, Canada and head of the Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit.

“‘We need better knowledge of the disease, and it is also the case that serotonergic modulation can help depression. We certainly need better treatment, and we should be careful that we do not become constrained by the paradigm of serotonin,’ McIntyre concluded.”

— from Yasgur, B. S. (2022, July 22). No Evidence Low Serotonin Causes Depression? Medscape Medical News.

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