MedPage Today (6/26, Hlavinka) reports, “Certain antidepressants may function by mediating connectivity in areas of the brain associated with pain,” investigators concluded. The research, which involved MRI scans, revealed that “in a group of 66 patients on serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) – either duloxetine (Cymbalta) or desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) – both drugs demonstrated reduced connectivity in the thalamo-cortico-periaqueductal network of the brain, also known as the ‘neurologic signature of physical pain,’ versus placebo.” The findings were published online June 24 in The Lancet Psychiatry. The authors of an accompanying editorial wrote, “[This study] promises to move the field of [functional] MRI network study forward in the prediction of treatment response.”
Meanwhile, Psychiatric News (6/26) reports, “The effectiveness of tramadol, a frequently prescribed opiate” analgesic, “may be significantly diminished when patients are also taking certain, commonly prescribed antidepressants, such as bupropion (Wellbutrin), fluoxetine (Prozac), or paroxetine (Paxil),” researchers concluded. The findings of the 152-patient study were published in the June issue of Pharmacotherapy.
Related Links:
— “The ‘Pain Network’: New Target for Antidepressants?, “Elizabeth Hlavinka, MedPage Today, June 26, 2019