Psychiatria pre prax 3/2004

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE STRESS RESPONSE AND IN THE ACTION OF ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS

The incidence of depression in women is significantly greater than in man and it may be related, at least partly, to gender differences in neuroendocrine responses during stress. In animals, stress hormone levels were found to be higher in females both under stress and in experimental models of depression. Gender differences have been observed also in humans, but they seem to be dependent on the nature of the stress stimulus. Surprisingly, possible gender differences in the action of antidepressants are not clear. Several differences in the pharmacokinetics have been described. It has been reported that women are more likely to show a favorable response to sertraline and other SSRI than to imipramine. However, gender differences in therapeutic effects of antidepressants have not been confirmed in all recent studies.

Keywords: antidepressants, stress, gender differences.