Posted by zeugma on October 7, 2003, at 20:28:50
In reply to Silly researchers., posted by Questionmark on October 7, 2003, at 12:53:04
Questionmark, two points:
First, I didn't know that bupropion is a nicotinic antagonist. Reboxetine is also a nicotinic antagonist. From what I can understand (so far), nicotinic receptors are a species of cholinergic receptors, so anticholinergic drugs would also block nicotinic receptors (like nortriptyline). I would like to know a lot more about the nicotinic receptors: another bit of fascinating info I've gathered is that smokers are much less likely to develop Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which should make nicotinic receptors the focus of a LOT of current research.
Second, I COMPLETELY agree that this hippocampal growth thing is overblown and the result of shoddy thinking on the part of researchers. No doubt hippocampal growth is a good thing (as you say) but it seems like an effect and not a cause, and it also strikes me that in 50 years of product development the most effective antidepressants are still the ones discovered by accident (the TCA's and MAOI's). Considering that that it is still essentially unknown how these drugs work (and these are among the most extensively studied drugs in existence) it suggests that advances are going to be slow and most likely the result of fortunate accidents like the ones that brought these drugs into use.
poster:zeugma
thread:265309
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031004/msgs/266538.html