Tag: Depression
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NPAS4 genetic biomarker for depression symptoms identified in an animal study
Scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) have identified a stress-regulated gene that is responsible for the link between long-term stress and anhedonia, or the loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities, in an animal study using mice. Research has shown that a transcription factor called NPAS4 in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)…
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Online depression intervention tool found effective in adolescent mothers
Researchers from the University of Louisville found that using an Internet-based depression intervention tool program found effective in improving treatment rates of adolescent depressed mothers. This study is published in journal Archives of Women’s Mental Health. Roughly half of the 400,000 adolescents 18 and younger who give birth annually in the United States experience depressive symptoms, but…
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New target receptor for treating depression GPR158
Researchers from the Scripps Research Institute find a new target receptor called GPR158 for treating depression. Their research shows that individuals with high levels of above receptor may be more susceptible to depression following chronic stress. “The next step in this process is to come up with a drug that can target this receptor,” says Kirill…
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Diets rich in fruits and vegetables associated with lower depression risk
People who eat vegetables, fruit and whole grains may have lower rates of depression over time, according to a preliminary study that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 70th Annual Meeting. Research found that people whose diets adhered more closely to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet were less likely…
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People with depression found to have low arginine levels
Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland have shown that people suffering from major depressive disorder have reduced arginine levels. One of the role of arginine in body is to produce nitric oxide, which in turn have role in vascular regulation and is a nervous system and immune defence mediator. The global arginine bioavailability ratio…
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Role of diet and gut microbiome in the major depressive disorder
An international group of researchers headed by André Carvalho has published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic a paper that provides new data and prospects for the links between the intestinal flora and several disorders, notably depression. Persistent low-grade immune-inflammatory processes, oxidative and nitrosative stress and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation are integral to the pathophysiology of the major…
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Review of literature shows that Acupuncture improves medical treatment for depression and chronic pain
Health specialists at the University of York have found that acupuncture treatment can boost the effectiveness of standard medical care, lessening the severity of chronic pain and depression. In a report published in the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Journals Library, the researchers showed that there is significant evidence to demonstrate that acupuncture provides…
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Antidepressants use associated with birth defects
A new Université de Montréal study in the British Medical Journal reveals that antidepressants prescribed to pregnant women could increase the chance of having a baby with birth defects. The risk is 6 to 10 %, versus 3 to 5 % in women who do not take the drugs and it is high enough to…
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Research uncovers link between long-term opioid use and preexisting psychiatric and behavioral disease
A wide range of pre-existing psychiatric and behavioral conditions and the use of psychoactive drugs could be important risk factors leading to long-term use of opioid pain medications, reports a study in Journal Pain, the official publication of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). Using a nationwide insurance database, the researchers identified…
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Meditation helps fight major depressive disorder
A breathing-based meditation practice known as Sudarshan Kriya yoga helped alleviate severe depression in people who did not fully respond to antidepressant treatments, reports a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The study bolsters the science behind the use of controlled…
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