Effexor (Venlafaxine) is a drug that was introduced in 1993 as a pharmaceutical antidepressant by Wyeth; its marketing rights are now owned by Pfizer. Pharmacodynamically, it functions primarily as a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) and is understood to be the first-ever “dual reuptake inhibitor” approved by the FDA for the treatment of major depressive disorder. …
Propranolol is a beta blocker originally synthesized in the 1960s by James W. Black, a British scientist. It is a derivative of older beta-adrenergic antagonists dichloroisoprenaline and pronethalol, each of which lacked safety and efficacy to warrant medicinal usage. Chemically, propranolol is formed upon insertion of an oxymethylene group into the aryl ethanolamine structure of …
Hydroxyzine is an antihistaminergic drug that was initially marketed in the 1950s by Pfizer. It is manufactured under the brand names Vistaril and Atarax, but widely purchased as a generic. Although hydroxyzine has been on the market for over half a century (50+ years), it is still commonly utilized by medical practitioners in a variety of scenarios …
Hydroxyzine (brand names Vistaril, Atarax) is a first-generation antihistamine of the diphenylmethane and piperazine class. It was initially synthesized in 1956 and thereafter marketed in the U.S. by the pharmaceutical juggernaut, Pfizer. Although a relatively ancient medication by today’s standards, hydroxyzine is still commonly prescribed: as a preoperative anesthetic, analgesic, and anxiolytic adjunct; as an …
Inositol (cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol) is a non-essential nutrient synthesized within the body from glucose and is abundant within spinal fluid. Although inositol exists in the form of 9 distinct stereoisomers, the most abundant format within cellular membranes is myo-inositol, accounting for approximately 95% of free inositol within the body. Myo-inositol was initially isolated by researchers in 1849, …
TMS (Transcranial magnetic stimulation) is considered a non-invasive neurostimulation procedure aimed at normalizing brain activity among those with abnormal neurological function. Individuals diagnosed with psychiatric conditions (e.g. depression) may turn to TMS for relief if standard first-line pharmacological options fail to ameliorate symptoms. A TMS device works by using pulsed magnetic fields to generate low-grade electrical currents. …
Perhaps you’ve heard of the fictional story “Flowers for Algernon” about a laboratory mouse named Algernon. The mouse undergoes a nootropic-esque surgical procedure that dramatically amplifies his intelligence. The experiment is deemed so successful, that scientists decide to test the procedure in a human character named Charlie Gordon. Prior to the artificial enhancement of Charlie’s …