Antidepressant News and Research

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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.

Antidepressants in pregnancy do not cause autism, study finds

New research cannot establish a close connection between the use of antidepressant medication - the so-called SSRIs - during the course of pregnancy and the risk of having a child with autism.

25 Nov 2013

Enhancing the NMDA glutamate receptor causes antidepressant-like effects

Thirteen years ago, an article in this journal first reported that the anesthetic medication, ketamine, showed evidence of producing rapid antidepressant effects in depressed patients who had not responded to prior treatments. Ketamine works by blocking one of the targets for the neurotransmitter glutamate in the brain, the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor.

20 Nov 2013

mTOR protein: A key mediator of antidepressant effects of ketamine

Two years ago, mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR, a signaling protein, was identified as a key mediator of the antidepressant effects of ketamine, the first rapidly acting antidepressant medication to be identified.

20 Nov 2013

Study on women's preferences, decision-making patterns regarding treatment for depression during, after pregnancy

Women with depression in the perinatal period experience a high degree of conflict in deciding whether and how to treat their depression, but strongly prefer treatments other than antidepressant medications, reports a study in the November Journal of Psychiatric Practice®. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

19 Nov 2013

Depression link to Parkinson’s risk bolstered

A large retrospective study supports the notion that depression may be an independent risk factor for Parkinson’s disease.

14 Nov 2013

New view can give scientists better understanding of how antidepressants work in human brain

Research from Oregon Health & Science University's Vollum Institute, published in the current issue of Nature, is giving scientists a never-before-seen view of how nerve cells communicate with each other.

13 Nov 2013

Research: New mechanisms and areas of brain linked with anxiety and depression

Research released today reveals new mechanisms and areas of the brain associated with anxiety and depression, presenting possible targets to understand and treat these debilitating mental illnesses.

12 Nov 2013

Researchers identify critical mechanism to improve survival and behavior of new brain cells

A specialized type of brain cell that tamps down stem cell activity ironically, perhaps, encourages the survival of the stem cells' progeny, Johns Hopkins researchers report.

11 Nov 2013

Brain & Behavior Research Foundation announces recipients of NARSAD Investigator Grants

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (formerly known as NARSAD, the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression), under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, President & CEO, has announced the latest recipients of its NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Grants.

8 Nov 2013

Interactive multimedia computer program does not improve mental health in depressed patients

Among depressed patients evaluated in a primary care setting, use of an interactive multimedia computer program immediately prior to a primary care visit resulted in the increased receipt of antidepressant prescription recommendation, mental health referral, or both; however, it did not result in improvement in mental health at 12-week follow-up, according to a study in the November 6 issue of JAMA.

6 Nov 2013

First-episode type predicts morbidity, disease course in bipolar disorder

Study findings suggest that the type of first episode in patients with bipolar disorder can predict the type and degree of future morbidity, as well as the disease course.

5 Nov 2013

e-Therapeutics begins ETS6103 phase IIb trial for major depressive disorder

e-Therapeutics plc announces that it has started a randomised double-blind controlled phase IIb trial of ETS6103 in major depressive disorder.

31 Oct 2013

Serotonin 2C receptors induce fast-acting antidepressant effects in mice

More than 1 in 10 Americans take antidepressants, but these medications can take weeks-and for some patients, months-before they begin to alleviate symptoms. Now, scientists from the University of Chicago have discovered that selectively blocking a serotonin receptor subtype induces fast-acting antidepressant effects in mice, indicating a potential new class of therapeutics for depression. The work was published Oct. 29 in Molecular Psychiatry.

29 Oct 2013

Current drugs may harbor small-cell lung cancer promise

Scientists have identified several existing non-oncology drug classes that may have potential as a treatment for small-cell lung cancer, especially for patients with chemoresistant and metastatic disease.

28 Oct 2013

Neuropsychoanalysis Association to host conference on depression

The Neuropsychoanalysis Association is hosting a conference for researchers and clinicians on depression, "Towards a Real Understanding of Depression: Lessons from the Treatment Battlefeld and New Research," on Friday, November 1, 2013 from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, The Bonnie and Kenneth Davis Auditorium, 1470 Madison Avenue (between 101st and 102nd Streets) in New York City.

24 Oct 2013