Depression News and Research

Latest Depression News and Research

Stimulation of brain region causes behavioral changes

Artificially stimulating a brain region believed to play a key role in learning, reward and motivation induced monkeys to change which of two images they choose to look at.

30 May 2014

Obama hosts summit on sports-related concussions

The president is overseeing a daylong White House meeting today with more than 200 medical researchers, athletes, coaches, league officials and others to raise awareness about this public health issue.

30 May 2014

People with diabetes have about double risk of premature death

People with diabetes have about double the risk of premature death as people of the same age without diabetes.

30 May 2014

Sudden loss of loved one can trigger psychiatric disorders in people with no history of mental illness

The sudden loss of a loved one can trigger a variety of psychiatric disorders in people with no history of mental illness, according to researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and colleagues at Columbia's School of Social Work and Harvard Medical School.

30 May 2014

Bipolar remission influenced by anxiety and OCD

Anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder may reduce the likelihood of achieving remission for patients with bipolar disorder, study findings indicate.

29 May 2014

First Edition: May 29, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including articles on an inspector general's report on care at VA hospitals and growing pressure from some House Republicans to vote on an alternative to the Affordable Care Act.

29 May 2014

Study defines specific genetic mechanism that explains some of schizophrenia's heritability

The overall number and nature of mutations—rather than the presence of any single mutation—influences an individual's risk of developing schizophrenia, as well as its severity, according to a discovery by Columbia University Medical Center researchers published in the latest issue of Neuron.

29 May 2014

Dialysis patients suffering from depression and anxiety have greatest impairments in physical exercise

With the rate of chronic kidney disease on the rise among older Americans, researchers seeking to improve patients' quality of life studied a group of adults undergoing hemodialysis and found their higher rates of depression and anxiety could be associated with their impaired physical exercise capability and reduced daily physical activity, according a new study published online by the Journal of Renal Nutrition.

29 May 2014

Physical fitness should be considered in chronic neck pain management

Researchers recommend that clinicians consider whole body physical fitness, anxiety and depression when determining strategies for illness management in men and women with chronic neck pain.

28 May 2014

New research program to understand and treat debilitating psychiatric disorders

Scientists and physicians at UC San Francisco (UCSF) are leading a $26 million, multi-institutional research program in which they will employ advanced technology to characterize human brain networks and better understand and treat a range of common, debilitating psychiatric disorders, focusing first on anxiety disorders and major depression.

28 May 2014

VA says some vets may get care at private facilities

As the agency seeks to increase its ability to provide services, Secretary Eric Shinseki says when patients will get more access to private clinics and hospitals in areas where the department's services are limited.

28 May 2014

Neural engineers to develop techniques for dynamic deep brain stimulation

Deep brain stimulators, devices that zap Parkinson's disease tremors by sending electrical current deep into nerve centers near the brain stem, may sound like they are cutting-edge, but Rice University's Caleb Kemere wants to give them a high-tech overhaul.

28 May 2014

Study gives hints about male versus female risk for certain psychiatric disorders

Puberty is the defining process of adolescent development, beginning a cascade of changes throughout the body, including the brain.

27 May 2014

Unexpected death may trigger mania in loved ones

The unexpected loss of a loved one can trigger a range of psychiatric disorders, including mania, in patients with no history of mental illness, a study shows.

23 May 2014

Viewpoints: It's past time to move on VA's problems; administration should report new health law numbers

When America sends men and women to fight, it owes them an enduring debt, starting with competent and timely health care and disability benefits when they leave active duty. President Obama expressed outrage on Wednesday at recent charges of wrongdoing in the Department of Veterans Affairs' health care system.

23 May 2014

Study shows how gender, age and place of residence influence depressive symptoms among older people

Residents of the Italian island of Sardinia are known for their longevity. Now, a new study also shows that elderly Sardinians are less depressed and generally are in a better mental frame of mind than peers living elsewhere.

23 May 2014

Stomach also plays a role in how we respond to fear

An unlit, deserted car park at night, footsteps in the gloom. The heart beats faster and the stomach ties itself in knots. We often feel threatening situations in our stomachs.

23 May 2014

NYU Langone Medical Center implants RNS device in brain for patients with epilepsy

NYU Langone Medical Center last month became the first hospital outside of a clinical trial site to implant a pacemaker-like device in the brain that may be a game-changer for patients with epilepsy.

22 May 2014

Premenstrual syndrome may spell menopause symptoms later but not hot flashes

Having premenstrual syndrome (PMS) before menopause does not mean women will be troubled by hot flashes afterward. But they may face more menopause complaints other than hot flashes, such as trouble with memory and concentration, finds a new study published online in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).

22 May 2014