SynthesisJournal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)2023
The effects of reserpine on depression: A systematic review.
Synthesis in Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 52 citations in OpenAlex.
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of the antidepressant-like effects of ginsenosides in animal models: comparative behavioral profiles and exploratory dose-stratified analysis.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Pooled it
- Genome-integrated engineering ofSynthetic and systems biotechnology · 2027Article
- Alkaloids as Emerging Neuroprotective Agents for Neurodegenerative Disorders: Insights into Tryptanthrin and Its Derivatives.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Development and characterization of a reserpine-induced mouse model of depression: An integrated in-vivo and in-silico approach.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2026Article
- Unveiling the enigma of anxiety disorders and depression: from pathogenesis to treatment.Science China. Life sciences · 2026Review
- Halofantrine protects photoreceptors in multiple models of retinal degeneration.Research square · 2026Article
- Natural Alkaloids as Antimicrobial Agents: Mechanisms, Potentials and Challenges.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Efficacy of Probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 in Counteracting Reserpine-induced Depression-like Symptoms and Neuroinflammation in Zebrafish.Indian journal of psychological medicine · 2026Article
- Unlocking neuronal health: leveraging C. elegans for drug repurposing studies.Cell communication and signaling : CCS · 2026Review
- Reserpine prolongs lifespan but compromises locomotion and heat-stress resilience in Drosophila melanogaster.npj aging · 2026Article
- Reserpine-induced hypotension through catecholamine and RAAS/nitric oxide/endothelin dysregulation.American journal of translational research · 2026Article
- Neural signaling mechanisms in depression: bridging classical monoamine hypotheses, animal models, and emerging antidepressant strategies.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2026Review
- Acute hyperactive delirium-like episode during dexmedetomidine sedation after recent discontinuation of long-term reserpine therapy: a case report.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Article
- Antidepressants and the endogenous opioid system.Biochemical pharmacology · 2025Review
- Evaluation of the antidepressant potential of Duloxetine, Coffea canephora, and Nigella sativa in a rat depression model.Metabolic brain disease · 2025Article
- A review on the sulfur ylide-mediated Corey-Chaykovsky reaction: a powerful approach to natural product synthesis.RSC advances · 2025Review
- Article
- Ghrelin Inhibits Inflammasomes Activation in Astrocytes, Alleviates Pyroptosis, and Prevents Lipopolysaccharide-induced Depression-like Behavior in Mice.Inflammation · 2025Article
- Honokiol ameliorates reserpine-induced fibromyalgia through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neurotrophic, and anti-apoptotic mechanisms.Scientific reports · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundReserpine is an effective antihypertensive drug, but its role in routine practice has declined such that it is rarely used. This is largely based on the assumption that reserpine causes depression. This assumption was a foundation for the original monoamine hypothesis of depression. However, there remains conflicting evidence as to whether reserpine causes depression, and no systematic review of available evidence.
aimsWe systematically reviewed evidence on effects of reserpine on depressive and related symptoms (e.g. anxiety, suicidal ideation).
methodElectronic searches of MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO were conducted to identify studies up to 14 February 2021. Studies of any methodological design involving reserpine-treated and reserpine-untreated conditions, in any adult human population, were included and a narrative synthesis of findings was undertaken. Risk of bias (RoB) was examined using ROBINS-I.
resultsOf the 35 studies meeting inclusion criteria, 9 were randomised controlled trials. Eleven studies reported some depressogenic effects, 13 reported no effect and 11 reported putative antidepressant effects. Studies identifying depressive effects were more likely to examine people without psychiatric disorders at baseline, while studies identifying a potential antidepressant effect tended to treat fewer participants for shorter durations, at higher doses. Around one-third of studies conducted in people with psychiatric disorders showed beneficial effects on depression symptoms. 30/35 studies were at high RoB.
conclusionsAssociations between reserpine and depression are inconsistent and limited by a lack of high-quality evidence. Due to reserpine's apparently complex effects, we urge nuance rather than simplicity surrounding the monoamine hypothesis of depression.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.