History of psychotherapeutic drugs:
For hundreds of years, mental patients have been subjected to various treatments, depending on the opinions regarding the causes of mental illness. 1917 was the first time physical treatment proved to be effective in serious mental disease. Psychotic patients were suffering from a syphilitic infection of the nervous system, called general paresis. Surprisingly, fevers associated with malaria produced substantial improvement to the patients suffering from the infection. "Malaria therapy" was introduced, but soon after eliminated with the discovery of antibiotics curing the syphilis arose. [1]
Current uses in the news:
-Small cell lung cancer is a type of cancer than encompasses 15% of all lung cancers. The FDA recently approved an antidepressant that may help in treatment of this dangerous cancer. When a certain tricyclic antidepressant is used, the cancerous cells seem to die off. The drug is currently being funded for so its effects can be further tested in hopes of finding a cure for this malicious cancer. [23]
-There is currently research being done to see if there is a link between taking antidepressants during pregnancy and giving birth to autistic newborns. Children who were exposed to antidepressants during the first trimester are thought to be 4 times more likely to develop autism. However,untreated depression during pregnancy has its own risk, such as premature birth and growth issues. [24]
References [23,24]
For hundreds of years, mental patients have been subjected to various treatments, depending on the opinions regarding the causes of mental illness. 1917 was the first time physical treatment proved to be effective in serious mental disease. Psychotic patients were suffering from a syphilitic infection of the nervous system, called general paresis. Surprisingly, fevers associated with malaria produced substantial improvement to the patients suffering from the infection. "Malaria therapy" was introduced, but soon after eliminated with the discovery of antibiotics curing the syphilis arose. [1]
Current uses in the news:
-Small cell lung cancer is a type of cancer than encompasses 15% of all lung cancers. The FDA recently approved an antidepressant that may help in treatment of this dangerous cancer. When a certain tricyclic antidepressant is used, the cancerous cells seem to die off. The drug is currently being funded for so its effects can be further tested in hopes of finding a cure for this malicious cancer. [23]
-There is currently research being done to see if there is a link between taking antidepressants during pregnancy and giving birth to autistic newborns. Children who were exposed to antidepressants during the first trimester are thought to be 4 times more likely to develop autism. However,untreated depression during pregnancy has its own risk, such as premature birth and growth issues. [24]
References [23,24]