Tianeptine: Tricyclic Antidepressants (Tcas)
Tianeptine is a member of the class of drugs known as tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). It has been found to have anxiolytic and mood altering effects. Despite being a tricyclic drug, tianeptine has a significantly different pharmacologic profile than the average TCA and is thought to produce effects through action at several unique receptors. Tianeptine has found use in the treatment of asthma and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and may affect neural plasticity (learning).
Potential Benefits of Tianeptine
Tianeptine has been primarily used to treat depression, with some off-label use in the treatment of asthma and IBS. Following reports of improved cognition and euphoria from patients, researchers began to find that tianeptine had unique …show more content…
Multiple studies over many years have confirmed that stress and anxiety are detrimental to learning. Indeed, anyone who has ever been peppered with questions in a high-pressure environment (e.g. testing, medical students on wards, etc.) can attest to the cognitive impairment that results from stress. The problem is even worse than that, however. Stress can actually induce neuronal remodeling and affect established brain chemistry. There is evidence that stress, if allowed to persist, can actually lead to permanent mental …show more content…
Many anesthetic drugs, like ketamine and nitrous oxide, reduce NMDA receptor activity. When activity is increased, as is the case with tianeptine binding, the NMDA receptor enhances memory and learning through a Hebbian mechanism. This essentially means that it promotes synaptic development and thus enhances the formation of connections between one neuron and another.
AMPA receptor activation mediates fast synaptic transmission in the CNS. This effect plays a significant role in long-term potentiation (LTP), which is the process of strengthening of synapses based on recent patterns of activity. In other words, AMPA receptor activation helps to strengthen synaptic connections and thus helps to make newly learned tasks and facts more permanent. It is a factor in long-term memory formation.
Tianeptine alters glutamate activity at both of the above receptors and, in so doing, may boost memory and learning. It also promotes the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which promotes nerve and synapse growth and is associated with the formation of new memories and the protection of existing brain structure[3], [4]. BDNF is heavily associated with the cognitive-enhancing effects of physical
Potential Benefits of Tianeptine
Tianeptine has been primarily used to treat depression, with some off-label use in the treatment of asthma and IBS. Following reports of improved cognition and euphoria from patients, researchers began to find that tianeptine had unique …show more content…
Multiple studies over many years have confirmed that stress and anxiety are detrimental to learning. Indeed, anyone who has ever been peppered with questions in a high-pressure environment (e.g. testing, medical students on wards, etc.) can attest to the cognitive impairment that results from stress. The problem is even worse than that, however. Stress can actually induce neuronal remodeling and affect established brain chemistry. There is evidence that stress, if allowed to persist, can actually lead to permanent mental …show more content…
Many anesthetic drugs, like ketamine and nitrous oxide, reduce NMDA receptor activity. When activity is increased, as is the case with tianeptine binding, the NMDA receptor enhances memory and learning through a Hebbian mechanism. This essentially means that it promotes synaptic development and thus enhances the formation of connections between one neuron and another.
AMPA receptor activation mediates fast synaptic transmission in the CNS. This effect plays a significant role in long-term potentiation (LTP), which is the process of strengthening of synapses based on recent patterns of activity. In other words, AMPA receptor activation helps to strengthen synaptic connections and thus helps to make newly learned tasks and facts more permanent. It is a factor in long-term memory formation.
Tianeptine alters glutamate activity at both of the above receptors and, in so doing, may boost memory and learning. It also promotes the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which promotes nerve and synapse growth and is associated with the formation of new memories and the protection of existing brain structure[3], [4]. BDNF is heavily associated with the cognitive-enhancing effects of physical