Neurol. praxi. 2018;19(4):284-288 | DOI: 10.36290/neu.2018.057

Pharmacotherapy of cognitive dysfunction in depressive disorder

prof. MUDr. Eva Češková, CSc.^1,2,3,4

¹ CEITEC MU, Brno

² Psychiatrická klinika LF a MU FN Brno

³ KNP LF Univerzity Ostrava

⁴ Odd. psychiatrie, FN Ostrava

Cognitive dysfunction frequently occurs in acute depression and can persist into remission. Cognitive impairments impacts onpatient functioning and negatively influence ability to perform adequately at work. As evidenced by the results of numerousstudies drugs with anticholinergic effect (e.g. tricyclic antidepressants) may adversly affect cognitive functions. The most frequentlyprescribed antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may improve cognitivy dysfunction in depression.Agents also including a noradrenergic component such as selective serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitorts appear tobe more effective in respect to cognitive functions compared to SSRI treatment. Based on the available data, the new multimodalantidepressant vortioxetine may have a specific pro-cognitive effect. Many other compounds are under investigation includingstimulants, compounds acting on glutamatergic and cholinergic systems, compounds showing anti-inflammatory and antioxidantproperties, nutraceutics. However, current evidence is not sufficeint to widely recommend the use of these agents in thetreatment of cognitive dysfunction in depressive disorder.

Keywords: cognitive dysfunction, depressive disorder, antidepressants, augmentation, adjuvant treatment

Received: September 5, 2018; Accepted: September 13, 2018; Published: September 1, 2018  Show citation