Antidepressant may improve cognitive symptoms in people with HIV

Croatoan

Well-Known Member
Makes me think of "brain fog"...

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160225153620.htm

In a small, placebo-controlled clinical trial, Johns Hopkins physicians report that the antidepressant paroxetine modestly improves decision-making and reaction time, and suppresses inflammation in people with HIV-associated cognitive impairment. The researchers say they believe this is the first time that a SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) has been shown to improve key measures of cognition in people with HIV in a controlled study.
 

Cort

Founder of Health Rising and Phoenix Rising
Staff member
Makes me think of "brain fog"...

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160225153620.htm

In a small, placebo-controlled clinical trial, Johns Hopkins physicians report that the antidepressant paroxetine modestly improves decision-making and reaction time, and suppresses inflammation in people with HIV-associated cognitive impairment. The researchers say they believe this is the first time that a SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) has been shown to improve key measures of cognition in people with HIV in a controlled study.
Antidepressants continue to surprise. I see that it appears to suppress inflammation :).
The AIDS virus "triggers nerve-damaging inflammation in the brain, leading to problems with learning, memory, decision-making and motor coordination. Up to 50 percent of people with HIV taking a cocktail of antiretroviral drugs are estimated to suffer from cognitive impairment, the researchers say"

Brain fog in ME/CFS could be happening in a similar way; all it takes apparently is inflammation and I think many researchers believe we're going to find that.

Plus an antifungal works as well - both cross the blood brain barrier...
Steiner had tested Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs paroxetine and the antifungal fluconazole, and showed that they protect neurons from death in laboratory cultures of rat nerve cells. Both drugs also cross the blood-brain barrier.

They also demonstrated some reduction in inflammation. It wasn't huge but it was going in the right direction.

They measured the level of CD163, which is known to be higher than average in patients with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders and an indicator of inflammation. Before treatment, patients with HIV had an average of 802 nanograms per milliliter of CD163 protein in the blood, but after treatment with paroxetine, the average level dropped to 738 nanograms per milliliter. Patients not given paroxetine saw their CD163 levels rise by an average of almost 400 nanograms per milliliter over the 24 weeks.

Interesting...
 

Croatoan

Well-Known Member
Does that mean that all these issues that it is for are caused by the same thing?

Paroxetine is primarily used to treat major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder,generalized anxiety disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder and menopausal hot flashes.

Well it just means that serotonin plays a role. Note that SSRI's do not cure these diseases totally and also create some side effects.

How do stress, HIV and menopause cause serotonin problems?

They don't cause serotonin problems, they change how serotonin is metabolized, which may be a problem for some people.

Ready to really get your mind blown? Some virii actually use the serotonin receptor to spread infection.
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/306/5700/1380.short
 

RuthAnn

Well-Known Member
Well it just means that serotonin plays a role. Note that SSRI's do not cure these diseases totally and also create some side effects.



They don't cause serotonin problems, they change how serotonin is metabolized, which may be a problem for some people.

Ready to really get your mind blown? Some virii actually use the serotonin receptor to spread infection.
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/306/5700/1380.short

Do menopause and stress change the way serotonin is metabolized because they change hormone levels...cortisol and estrogen?

What do you suppose HIV might change that causes a change is serotonin metabolism?
 

RuthAnn

Well-Known Member
And yikes that's not good news that virii uses serotonin receptor to infect cells. Glial cells are in the brain, aren't they?

How would one stop that besides serotonin antagonists?
 

Strike me lucky

Well-Known Member
Without sufficient estrogen, serotonin doesn't work properly.
I have heard theres a pathway from pregnenolone to making neurotransmitters but i cant find any solid info on this. Maybe its a down stream hormone thing from estrogen and testosterone??
 

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