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Vortioxetine: A Review in Cognitive Dysfunction in Depression

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Abstract

Vortioxetine (Brintellix®; Trintellix®), a generally efficacious and well tolerated antidepressant agent, is approved in the EU and USA for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. The drug has a distinctive pharmacological profile (combining inhibition of the serotonin transporter with modulation of multiple serotonin receptors) and has been shown to enhance cognitive performance in various animal models and clinical trials. Across three large, placebo-controlled studies in adults with recurrent MDD, short-term treatment with vortioxetine almost always resulted in statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in performance on two objective measures (the Digit Symbol Substitution Test and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test) that together cover a broad range of cognitive domains, including executive function, attention, processing speed, learning and memory. Vortioxetine also significantly improved a subjective measure of cognitive function (the Perceived Deficits Questionnaire) and an objective measure of functional capacity (the University of San Diego performance-based skills assessment). In general, the beneficial effects of vortioxetine on these measures were largely independent of its effect on improving depressive symptoms. Based on the available data, therefore, vortioxetine is a useful treatment option in patients with MDD where impaired cognitive function is apparent.

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Acknowledgements

During the peer review process, the manufacturer of vortioxetine was also offered an opportunity to review this article. Changes resulting from comments received were made on the basis of scientific and editorial merit.

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    James E. Frampton

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  1. James E. Frampton
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Correspondence to James E. Frampton.

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The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding.

Conflict of interest

James Frampton is a salaried employee of Adis/Springer, is responsible for the article content and declares no relevant conflicts of interest.

Additional information

The manuscript was reviewed by: L. Citrome, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA; X. Gonda, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; M. Hahn, Vitos Rheingau, Eltville, Germany; R. Jain, Department of Psychiatry, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, Midland, TX, USA.

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Frampton, J.E. Vortioxetine: A Review in Cognitive Dysfunction in Depression. Drugs 76, 1675–1682 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-016-0655-3

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