Limitations of Current Treatments For many years, the treatment of major depression and other mood disorders has been based on the accidental discovery of drugs that were later shown to enhance the function of the neurotransmitters, serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Although these treatments have had some success, they can typically take two to four weeks to show clinical efficacy and, even then, only about two thirds of the people respond. Side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, sexual dysfunction. weight gain and in some cases serious behavioral problems are often responsible for the discontinuation of treatment. Scientists do not yet fully understand the biological causes of depression and anxiety disorders, which contributes to the difficulties in treating these illnesses. It is not known if current drug therapies work because they are targeting the cause of the depression, or if they work because of some other effects that they are having, with a secondary effect of relieving the symptoms of depression. However, recent studies report a relationship between mood disorders and the neuropeptide circuits of the brain that regulate stress and anxiety. Recent studies report a relationship between mood disorders and the neuropeptide circuits of the brain that regulate stress and anxiety.
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