Major Depressive Disorder News and Research

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Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by depressed mood or anhedonia (significant loss of interest or pleasure). The condition affects more than 15.7 million adults and approximately 3 million adolescents (aged 13 to 17 years) in the USA each year.

Mylan granted U.S. patent for transdermal product

Mylan Laboratories has announced that U.S. Patent No. 7,070,808 was issued to its subsidiary, Mylan Technologies Inc. (MTI), on July 4, 2006.

26 Jul 2006

Mild sadness provokes depressive thinking in some recovered patients

Some individuals with a history of depression may sink back into thinking patterns associated with the condition when faced with mild stresses or sadness, increasing their risk for relapse.

3 Jul 2006

Targeted interventions for those at risk for depression have greater effect than universal interventions

Depression among youth is a growing public health concern, affecting one to two percent of elementary school-aged children and three to eight percent of adolescents.

27 Jun 2006

New drug will treat those winter blues

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given it's approval for a drug to treat a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

14 Jun 2006

Prozac saves thousands of lives

A new study should help alleviate any concern over a link between the use of certain antidepressants and suicide.

13 Jun 2006

FDA approves Wellbutrin X for treatment of seasonal depression

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Wellbutrin XL for prevention of major depressive episodes in patients with a history of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

13 Jun 2006

Psychological well-being improves after adolescence

Although young adults are faced with a diversity of life choices, they seem to be coming to terms with themselves and their lives in their 20s, says new University of Alberta research that shows psychological well-being improves after adolescence and girls improve faster than boys.

10 May 2006

Lilly submits Cymbalta NDA for generalized anxiety disorder

Eli Lilly and Company has announced the recent submission of a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Cymbalta (duloxetine HCl) for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.

10 May 2006

Popular antidepressants may affect fetus

A team from the Ottawa Health Research Institute, the University of Ottawa, and The Ottawa Hospital has found an increased risk of premature delivery, low birth weight, fetal death, and infant seizures among pregnant women who used a popular class of antidepressants during pregnancy.

20 Apr 2006

Depression is an often undiagnosed source of suffering for elderly

Elderly patients with lesser versions of depression, a group many times larger than those with major depression, are more than five times as likely as healthy patients to descend into major depression within one year, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

11 Apr 2006

Teenage girls with depression may have a higher risk of physical abuse by their partners

Teenage girls with symptoms of depression may have a higher risk of subsequent physical abuse by their partners than those who don't have symptoms of depression, according to a study in the March issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

9 Mar 2006

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may influence mood, personality and behavior

In a study of 106 healthy volunteers, researchers found that participants who had lower blood levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were more likely to report mild or moderate symptoms of depression, a more negative outlook and be more impulsive.

7 Mar 2006

Eating fish keeps mind as well as heart, happy and healthy

According to researchers in the U.S., Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may have more of an influence on mood, personality and behavior, than previously thought.

6 Mar 2006

Study provides animal model of depression

A Florida State University scientist used a gene transfer technique to block the expression of a gene associated with clinical depression in a new study of mice that could lead to better treatment of human beings with this condition.

14 Feb 2006

Depression linked to Alzheimer's

A lifetime history of depression is associated with increased plaques and tangles in the brains of those with Alzheimer's disease and more rapid cognitive decline, according to a study by researchers at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

9 Feb 2006

Run, skip, hop, jump or just walk to lift those blues

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin say a single 30-minute walk on a treadmill can give a temporary emotional lift to patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder.

26 Jan 2006

'Mindfulness' lifts depression for many, but not all

Mindfulness, a central concept in yoga and various forms of meditation, has proven to be effective against depression, but difficult to grasp for a significant number of people who try it, according to a University of Calgary researcher.

23 Jan 2006

People with mild symptoms of depression pay more attention to their social environment

Surprisingly, people with mild depression are actually more tuned into the feelings of others than those who aren't depressed, a team of Queen's psychologists has discovered.

28 Nov 2005

New gene linked to schizophrenia and depression

A Scots-led medical research team has identified a new gene linked to major mental illness that links back to a previously discovered gene known to increase the risk of schizophrenia and depression.

20 Nov 2005

Bright light therapy may aid patients with depressive and bipolar disorders

A report in the November Cell Metabolism reveals powerful effects of light on the adrenal glands, a finding that might explain the broad benefits of bright light therapy for a variety of conditions, including sleep and depressive disorders, according to researchers.

14 Nov 2005