SSRI

SSRI stands for “Selective Serotonine Reuptake Inhibitor”.

It is based on the fact that the human body contains Serotonin (‘5-HT’) and Noradrenaline (‘NA’) which are neurotransmitters, i.e. substances that help in transmitting signals through the nervous system. One of the first SSRI’s launched on the market was developed by the Danish company Lunbeck who applied for a patent on citalopram in June 1988. At that time, it was known that the transmission of nerve signals by these two neurotransmitters was poor in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) patients when compared to transmission in healthy persons. The inhibition or diminution in the reuptake of serotonin and noradrenaline by the neurons would result in a higher concentration of free serotonin and noradrenaline in the synapses between the neurons, which would improve neuro transmission.

The functioning of Lundbeck’s citalopram is therefore based on blocking the reuptake of serotonin in the brain and consequently citalopram is classified as a SSRI. Substances that belong to this class are selective, i.e. they only block the reuptake of serotonin, and not of noradrenaline or other neurotransmitters.