Antidepressant News and Research

RSS

Antidepressants are medicines that treat depression. Your doctor can prescribe them for you. They can improve your mood, sleep, appetite and concentration. It may take several weeks for them to help. There are several types of antidepressants. You and your doctor may have to try several before finding what works best for you.

Study may provide insights into treating autism and other neuropsychiatric disorders

Alterations in a naturally occurring chemical in the brain called serotonin have been linked to a number of neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

20 Sep 2017

Sleep deprivation rapidly reduces depression symptoms in nearly half of depressed patients

Sleep deprivation -- typically administered in controlled, inpatient settings -- rapidly reduces symptoms of depression in roughly half of depression patients, according the first meta-analysis on the subject in nearly 30 years, from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

19 Sep 2017

Study investigates depression treatment among older people with dementia

A high prevalence of depression among older individuals with dementia is prompting researchers at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy and Banner Alzheimer's Institute to investigate depression treatment among this population.

19 Sep 2017

Antidepressant users have higher risk of death than non-users, researchers find

Antidepressant medications, most commonly prescribed to reduce depression and anxiety, increase the risk of death, according to new findings by a McMaster-led team of researchers.

14 Sep 2017

Tulane researchers move closer to improving treatment for chronic depression

In a new study published in the journal Cell Reports, researchers associated with the Tulane Brain Institute say they have moved a step closer to improving treatment for chronic depression.

7 Sep 2017

Existing antidepressant drug could slow progression of Parkinson’s

Michigan State University scientists now have early proof that an antidepressant drug that's been around for more than 50 years could slow the progression of Parkinson's.

6 Sep 2017

Antidepressants used for chronic pain relief come with significant side effects

Chronic pain negatively impacts a person's quality of life. Often, over the counter pain medication, such as ibuprofen or aspirin, are ineffective in alleviating chronic pain. In these instances, a surprising choice is often a drug used to treat an entirely different condition - depression.

5 Sep 2017

Study: Low long-term use of psychiatric drugs does not appear to affect cognition in schizophrenia

A long-term study has found that low cumulative exposure to benzodiazepine and antidepressant medications does not seem to affect cognition in schizophrenia.

5 Sep 2017

Study: Neurofeedback holds potential to treat people suffering from treatment-resistant depression

A small pilot study has indicated that neurofeedback - where patients concentrate on modifying their own brainwave patterns - has potential to treat many of the 100m people worldwide who suffer from Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD).

4 Sep 2017

Study finds transcranial direct-current stimulation to be less effective than anti-depressants

A new study questions the efficacy of treatments for depression based on stimulating brain areas with low-intensity electric current. The technique, known as transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS), was considered a promising alternative to treatment with antidepressant drugs.

31 Aug 2017

Researchers rebut theory that antidepressants do not exert any actual effect

A theory that has gained considerable attention in international media, including Newsweek and the CBS broadcast 60 minutes, suggest that antidepressant drugs, such as the SSRIs, do not exert any actual antidepressant effect.

18 Aug 2017

Older people treated with electroconvulsive therapy for depression may not get relief from insomnia

Older people receiving electroconvulsive therapy for their depression likely will need an additional treatment if insomnia is one of their symptoms, researchers report.

16 Aug 2017

Brain scans reveal lower serotonin transporters in people with mild cognitive impairment

In a study looking at brain scans of people with mild loss of thought and memory ability, Johns Hopkins researchers report evidence of lower levels of the serotonin transporter -- a natural brain chemical that regulates mood, sleep and appetite.

14 Aug 2017

Antidepressant use linked to higher risk of head injuries among persons with Alzheimer's disease

Antidepressant use is associated with an increased risk of head injuries and traumatic brain injuries among persons with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland.

9 Aug 2017

Researchers rejuvenate plasticity of the mouse brain by manipulating one gene

Like much of the rest of the body, the brain loses flexibility with age, impacting the ability to learn, remember, and adapt. Now, scientists at University of Utah Health report they can rejuvenate the plasticity of the mouse brain, specifically in the visual cortex, increasing its ability to change in response to experience.

8 Aug 2017

Yoga appears to lessen symptoms of depression

People who suffer from depression may want to look to yoga as a complement to traditional therapies as the practice appears to lessen symptoms of the disorder, according to studies presented at the 125th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

3 Aug 2017

Study findings could lead to more effective and faster acting antidepressants

For people suffering from depression, a day without treatment can seem like a lifetime. A new study explains why the most commonly prescribed antidepressants can take as long as six weeks to have an effect. The findings could one day lead to more effective and faster acting drugs.