A prescription drug approved to treat chronic constipation may also help with the memory and concentration problems some people experience after depression, according to ScienceDaily.
The research, published in Psychological Medicine, was led by Dr. Angharad de Cates of the University of Birmingham with collaborators at the University of Oxford. The team studied prucalopride, a drug that activates the 5-HT4 serotonin receptor in the gut and brain.
The clinical trial included 50 adults with a history of depression who had recovered at least six months earlier and were not taking medication. Participants received either 2mg of prucalopride or a placebo for about a week.
After treatment, those who took prucalopride performed better on tests of memory, executive function, and emotional processing, responding faster and more accurately than the placebo group. The researchers said they saw no significant side effects during the study.
Study authors said the results provide early evidence that 5-HT4-targeting medications could help improve cognitive function in people with depression, and they plan to keep studying treatments for these lingering symptoms.
