Depression News and Research

Latest Depression News and Research

First Edition: August 21, 2012

Today's headlines include reports from the campaign trail, where House candidates are turning up the Medicare debate; and from the health care marketkplace, where Aetna acquired Coventry Health, a Medicare and Medicaid insurer.

21 Aug 2012

Pregnant women have higher rate of undiagnosed depression

Major depression affects as many as 16% of reproductive-aged women in the U.S. Yet pregnant women have a higher rate of undiagnosed depression than nonpregnant women, according to a study published in Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

21 Aug 2012

PD risk factors for potential clinical screening identified

A meta-analysis has identified 19 risk factors that significantly impact a person’s risk for Parkinson’s disease and could be of potential value for clinical screening, say the authors.

20 Aug 2012

Working out during pregnancy wards off muscle pain

Not enough healthy pregnant women are doing the recommended amount of physical exercise, suggest study findings.

20 Aug 2012

Bariatric surgery improves overall quality of life for people with obesity

New research shows that people who have bariatric surgery to treat obesity report an overall improvement in quality of life issues after surgery, from their relationships to their medical conditions. Arizona State University researchers will present their findings at the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.

18 Aug 2012

Prenatal antipsychotic exposure linked to reduced neuromotor performance

Infants with prenatal exposure to antipsychotics show significant reductions in neuromotor performance compared with other children, US researchers report.

17 Aug 2012

Adolescent hypomania does not predict bipolar disorder

Results from a Swedish study show that only a small proportion of depressed adolescents with hypomania spectrum episodes will develop bipolar disorder in adulthood.

17 Aug 2012

Researchers identify molecular and protein signatures that predict HCV virus-induced liver injury

Researchers have discovered molecular and protein signatures that predict rapid onset of liver damage in hepatitis C patients following a liver transplant. The markers appeared soon after transplant and well before clinical evidence of liver damage.

17 Aug 2012

T. gondii can cause inflammation in the brain

A parasite thought to be harmless and found in many people may actually be causing subtle changes in the brain, leading to suicide attempts.

17 Aug 2012

Specific episode triggers in young adults with BD identified

Falling in love has the highest specificity for triggering manic/hypomanic episodes in young adults with bipolar disorder, while stressful life events has the highest specificity for triggering depressive episodes, researchers report.

16 Aug 2012

Happiness undiminished in FES patients

Results from a Canadian study suggest that patients who have experienced a first episode of schizophrenia are just as happy as mentally healthy individuals, despite significant functional impairment.

16 Aug 2012

Targets to improve palliative patients’ wellbeing identified

Pain, depression, drowsiness, fatigue, and appetite loss are the symptoms that most affect the wellbeing of cancer patients being treated palliatively, report Canadian researchers.

16 Aug 2012

U.S. FDA warns of post-surgery codeine deaths in children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a Drug Safety Communication concerning three children who died and one child who experienced a non-fatal but life-threatening case of respiratory depression after taking the pain reliever codeine following surgery to remove tonsils (tonsillectomy) and/or adenoids (adenoidectomy).

16 Aug 2012

Study uncovers new pathway that can treat depression

Depression takes a substantial toll on brain health. Brain imaging and post-mortem studies provide evidence that the wealth of connections in the brain are reduced in individuals with depression, with the result of impaired functional connections between key brain centers involved in mood regulation. Glial cells are one of the cell types that appear to be particularly reduced when analyzing post-mortem brain tissue from people who had depression.

16 Aug 2012

Acute stress modifies DNA methylation and activity of certain genes

Acute stress alters the methylation of the DNA and thus the activity of certain genes. This is reported by researchers at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum together with colleagues from Basel, Trier and London for the first time in the journal Translational Psychiatry. "The results provide evidence how stress could be related to a higher risk of mental or physical illness", says Prof. Dr. Gunther Meinlschmidt from the Clinic of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the LWL University Hospital of the RUB.

16 Aug 2012

Couple therapy decreases PTSD symptoms and improves relationship

A North American study led by a researcher at Ryerson University has discovered that treating a person with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their partner using a specific couple therapy greatly decreases the severity of their symptoms -- and improves their relationship.

15 Aug 2012

TG2 plays a key role in serotonin deficiency associated with depression

Connecting the dots between two molecules whose levels are decreased in depression and increased by current antidepressants could yield new therapies, researchers say.

15 Aug 2012

Kessler Foundation investigates Ekso's new capabilities for autonomous use by people with SCI

Kessler Foundation has begun testing the upgraded Ekso in individuals unable to walk due to spinal cord injury. Ekso, a wearable, battery-powered robotic exoskeletal device, has been undergoing clinical investigation at Kessler since October 2011, when the research team received the second commercial unit distributed by Ekso Bionics.

15 Aug 2012

Mindfulness meditation prevents feelings of loneliness

Many elderly people spend their last years alone. Spouses pass and children scatter. But being lonely is much more than a silent house and a lack of companionship. Over time, loneliness not only takes a toll on the psyche but can have a serious physical impact as well.

15 Aug 2012