What is the oldest class of antidepressants?
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4 min read
First introduced in the 1950s, **monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)** and **tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)** are the two oldest classes of antidepressants, discovered serendipitously during research for other conditions. Their emergence represented a monumental shift in psychiatric care, moving the field beyond rudimentary treatments and laying the groundwork for modern psychopharmacology.
