tricyclic

Thân thiện

A doctor prescribes a tricyclic antidepressant to a patient.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A class of chemical compounds characterized by a molecular structure containing three interconnected rings of atoms.
   • Specifically, an antidepressant medication belonging to this chemical class, which works by increasing the levels of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The doctor prescribed a tricyclic for her chronic depression.
  • Tricyclics were among the first generation of modern antidepressant drugs.
  • Due to its side effects, this particular tricyclic is less commonly used today.

Advanced Usage

• "Tricyclic antidepressant (TCA)": This is the full, precise term used in medical contexts to distinguish these drugs from other classes like SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors).
  • Amitriptyline is a well-known tricyclic antidepressant.

Variants and Related Words

• Tricyclic Antidepressant (TCA) (n): The full technical name for this class of drugs.
• Tetracyclic (adj/n): Referring to a related but distinct class of compounds and antidepressants characterized by a four-ring structure.

Synonyms

• TCA (abbreviation): The standard medical abbreviation for Tricyclic Antidepressant.
• Heterocyclic compound (broader term): A larger class of organic compounds containing rings of atoms, of which tricyclics are a subset.

Notes on Meaning

• The primary contemporary meaning of "tricyclic" is pharmacological. Its use almost always refers to tricyclic antidepressants.
• The term originates from organic chemistry ("tri-" meaning three, "-cyclic" meaning ring) describing the core three-ring structure shared by these compounds.

Học thuật

Noun

1. an antidepressant drug that acts by blocking the reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin and thus making more of those substances available to act on receptors in the brain

Từ đồng nghĩa

• tricyclic antidepressant
• tricyclic antidepressant drug