The scientists reasoned that inhibiting the action of the enzyme that removes the monoaminergic transmitter from the synapse leaves more noradrenaline and serotonin in the synapses, thereby relieving the symptoms of depression. Thus, the idea of monoamine oxidase inhibitors as a treatment for depression was born. Later, researchers found that iproniazid and imipramine also lead to an increase in the size and number of synapses in the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, the brain regions in which synaptic connections are damaged by stress and depression. Understanding how these two
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