Cognitive effects of pharmacotherapy for major depressive disorder: a systematic review.

Objective: Cognitive impairment frequently accompanies major depressive disorder (MDD) and can persist during remission. This review examined pharmacotherapy effects on cognitive function in MDD.

Data Sources: PubMed and EMBASE searches were conducted on July 30, 2013, for English language reports of cognitive assessments following pharmacologic monotherapy or augmentation therapy in MDD.

Investigational noncardiovascular uses of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors.

Introduction: At the present time, inhibitors of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) have Food and Drug Administration approval only for the treatment of erectile dysfunction and pulmonary artery hypertension, for which their mechanism of action is vasodilation and augmentation of blood flow by impeding PDE5-mediated breakdown of cyclic guanosine monophosphate. However, these agents are also being investigated in a wide range of other potential medical and surgical applications for which current treatment options are limited and in which their mechanism of action may be the same as or different from their effects in the two approved indications. Even if only some of these potential applications prove useful, the effect on clinical practice could be far reaching.