Vortioxetin und kognitive Funktion bei der Major Depression: Evidenz aus praeklinischen und klinischen Studien [Vortioxetine and cognitive function in major depression: evidence from preclinical and clinical studies]

Due to its high life-time prevalence, major depression is one of the most urging medical problems in public health care. In many depressed patients cognitive dysfunction is present not only during the depressive episode but also as a residual symptom after remission has been achieved. Residual symptoms like cognitive dysfunction impair the patients' social functional level as well as their quality of life and they increase the risk of relapse. Up to now, only few studies have specifically examined the effects of antidepressants on cognitive dysfunction in depressed patients. Vortioxetine is a multimodal antidepressant acting on serotonin (5-HT) receptors in several ways: as an antagonist on 5-HT(3), 5-HT(7), and 5-HT(1D) receptors, as a partial agonist on 5-HT(1B) receptors, and as an agonist on 5-HT(1A) receptors; furthermore, it inhibits the 5-HT transporter. In preclinical animal studies, vortioxetine showed positive effects on learning and memory. The effects of vortioxetine on cognitive dysfunction in depressed patients are discussed in the context of available studies with other antidepressants.