Centre of Experimental Medicine SAS
Topic
Safety of selected antidepressants on functional brain development in an experimental model of maternal depression
PhD. program
Animal physiology
Year of admission
2025
Name of the supervisor
RNDr. Michal Dubovický, CSc.
Contact:
Receiving school
Faculty of Natural Sciences Comenius University
Annotation
Depressive disorders affect around 20% of women during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The most frequently prescribed antidepressants during pregnancy are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, the safety of their use in the treatment of maternal depression is controversial. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies these antidepressants as Category C drugs, which means that there are currently no sufficient well-controlled studies to assess the risk of their administration to pregnant and breastfeeding women. In our experimental project, we will focus on researching citalopram and sertraline and their possible adverse (or therapeutic) effects on rat brain development when administered to pregnant rats alone or in combination with induced maternal depression. With this research, we want to contribute to a more comprehensive characterization of both drugs in terms of their safety in the treatment of maternal depression.