Depression News and Research

Latest Depression News and Research

Family-level preventive intervention may improve outcomes for military families affected by wartime deployment

Family-level preventive intervention can lead to improved behavioral health outcomes for military families affected by wartime deployment, a new study published in the January 2016 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports.

22 Dec 2015

Yale researchers reveal why chronic overeating tied to increased risk of depression

Chronic overeating and stress are tied to an increased risk of depression and anxiety, and in a new study, Yale researchers explain why that happens and suggest a possible solution.

22 Dec 2015

Alexza reports interim results from AZ-002 Phase 2a study in epilepsy patients

Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced interim results of its Phase 2a study of AZ-002 (Staccato alprazolam) in epilepsy patients. AZ-002 produced a dose-related decrease in mean Standardized Photosensivity Range (SPR), the primary endpoint in the study.

21 Dec 2015

New Griffith University study focuses on improving perinatal mental health in women

Addressing the barriers that can prevent midwives helping mothers overcome a fear of childbirth is the focus of a new study at Griffith University.

21 Dec 2015

USC-led study finds link between anxiety and dementia

People who experienced high anxiety any time in their lives had a 48 percent higher risk of developing dementia compared to those who had not, according to a new study led by USC researchers.

20 Dec 2015

Teens with moderate mental health problems vape e-cigarettes

Teenagers with moderate mental health problems who may not have considered smoking conventional cigarettes are turning to electronic cigarettes, a new USC study has found.

20 Dec 2015

FDA approves Fenix Continence Restoration System to treat fecal incontinence

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the Fenix Continence Restoration System to treat fecal incontinence in patients who are not candidates for, or have previously failed, medical or other surgical options.

20 Dec 2015

UCLA study may help resolve a neurological mystery

UCLA researchers have found that space-mapping neurons - the GPS system in the brain - have a strong dependence on what is being looked at when triangulating location, a finding that resolves a neurological mystery that has vexed scientists for more than four decades.

18 Dec 2015

Feeling sad can alter levels of inflammatory proteins linked to increased risk of comorbid diseases

Feeling sad can alter levels of stress-related opioids in the brain and increase levels of inflammatory proteins in the blood that are linked to increased risk of comorbid diseases including heart disease, stroke and metabolic syndrome, according to a study by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

17 Dec 2015

Study: Weight loss due to dietary changes can improve sleep at any body weight

Weight loss due to dietary changes can improve sleepiness at any weight, says a study published by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania this month in the journal Sleep. The findings offer new insights into how weight fluctuations impact numerous aspects of sleep independent of body weight.

17 Dec 2015

Study examines whether pregnant woman can take antidepressants during pregnancy

Should a pregnant woman stop taking antidepressants during her pregnancy? The Journal of the American Medical Association has published a study showing the risk of autism doubles (from 1% to 2%) for children of women who use antidepressants, like Zoloft and Prozac. Max Wiznitzer, MD, pediatric neurologist at UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, stresses, even if the study proves correct, the vast majority of babies exposed to antidepressants in the second and third trimesters will not develop autism.

17 Dec 2015

Understanding how thought arises from brain structure

Using 20 years of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from tens of thousands of brain imaging experiments, computational neuroscientists Hava Siegelmann and a postdoctoral colleague at the University of Massachusetts have created a geometry-based method for massive data analysis to reach a new understanding of how thought arises from brain structure.

17 Dec 2015

Rutgers study explores early abuse experiences of LGBT migrants

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) migrants who obtained refuge or asylum in the U.S. or Canada on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity report extensive recollections of abuse by parents and caregivers, peers and school personnel, according to a new Rutgers study.

17 Dec 2015

Clinical depression during early childhood can change the brain's anatomy

The brains of children who suffer clinical depression as preschoolers develop abnormally, compared with the brains of preschoolers unaffected by the disorder, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

17 Dec 2015

Acupuncture may be safe, effective treatment for chronic pain in pediatric patients

It is upsetting to see anyone in pain, but it's especially heartbreaking to watch a child endure chronic pain. In addition to the suffering itself, chronic pain can cause traumatic effects on a child's quality of life, and it can have significant physical, psychological and social consequences. Making matters worse, chronic pain greatly can affect the child's parents or caregivers by causing feelings of helplessness and inadequacy.

16 Dec 2015

Children from low income environments experience higher risk of neurological impairment

Children from low income environments appear to have a higher risk of neurological impairment than those from more economically secure circumstances, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions. This neurological impairment appears to be distinct from the risk of cognitive and emotional delays known to accompany early-life poverty.

16 Dec 2015

Teens separated from fathers more likely to experience depressive symptoms

Family breakdown and the insecure financial situation that may result is more likely to cause worry, anxiety and depressive symptoms in adolescents who are separated from their father, says Professor Jennifer O'Loughlin of the University of Montreal. However, these symptoms can disappear in the nine-month period following the separation. O'Loughlin came to these conclusions after conducting a study that was recently published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.

16 Dec 2015

CTE can be diagnosed by neuropathological examination of brain tissue

For the first time, CTE has been confirmed as a unique disease that can be definitively diagnosed by neuropathological examination of brain tissue. A consensus panel of expert neuropathologists concluded that CTE has a pathognomonic signature in the brain, an advance that represents a milestone for CTE research and lays the foundation for future studies defining the clinical symptoms, genetic risk factors and therapeutic strategies for CTE.

16 Dec 2015

UW-Madison scientist creates serotonin neurons from stem cells

Su-Chun Zhang, a pioneer in developing neurons from stem cells at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has created a specialized nerve cell that makes serotonin, a signaling chemical with a broad role in the brain.

16 Dec 2015

Childhood family breakup can affect girls more than boys

A childhood family breakup can have long-term negative consequences for the children. Recent University of Illinois research looks at overall health, depression, and smoking as a health-related behavior and finds that, for girls, all three are worse.

15 Dec 2015