Cns Spectrums
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Comorbid chronic pain is common in depressed patients. It is predictive of a poor prognosis for depression and is a major risk factor for suicidal behavior. Depression and chronic pain may result from a common neurobiological dysfunction of monoamine cell bodies in the basal ganglia. ⋯ Both animal and clinical studies of chronic pain show that dual-acting reuptake inhibitors are more active than selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, which are, in turn, more active than SSRIs. A meta-analysis of placebo-controlled studies confirmed that dual-action antidepressants, but not SSRIs, were effective in reducing chronic lower-back pain. Milnacipran, duloxetine, and venlafaxine, have all been reported to be effective in a number of chronic pain conditions, including the treatment of fibromyalgia where their analgesic effects are independent of comorbid depression.