Depression News and Research

Latest Depression News and Research

QRxPharma receives date for US pain drug launch, pending approval

Australian pain-relief drug developer QRxPharma (QRX) has announced today that they have received from the US Food & Drug Adminstration.

8 Nov 2011

Top-line results from AstraZeneca and Targacept's TC-5214 Phase 3 studies on MDD

AstraZeneca and Targacept, Inc. today announced top-line results from the first of four RENAISSANCE Phase 3 studies investigating the efficacy and tolerability of TC-5214 as an adjunct therapy to an antidepressant in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who do not respond adequately to initial antidepressant treatment.

8 Nov 2011

New study questions effectiveness of current exercise referral schemes

Research commissioned by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme and carried out by research teams from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD) and the Universities of Exeter (Sport and Health Sciences) and Brunel (Health Economics Research Group), has called into question the effectiveness of exercise referral schemes as they are delivered at present.

7 Nov 2011

Vertex announces positive interim data from INCIVEK Phase 2 combination trial on HIV, HCV

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced positive interim results from an ongoing Phase 2 study designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of INCIVEK (telaprevir) tablets in combination with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin in people who are co-infected with chronic genotype 1 hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus.

7 Nov 2011

Earthquakes devastating in more ways than one: Review

According to a new study published Thursday in the Lancet earthquakes can be devastating during and after they have come and gone.

6 Nov 2011

Human Genome Sciences to present abstracts regarding BENLYSTA, SLE at ACR/ARHP meeting

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. announced today that several abstracts related to BENLYSTA (belimumab) and systemic lupus erythematosus will be presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology/ Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals, being held in Chicago, IL from November 4 to November 9, 2011.

5 Nov 2011

Rexahn announces results from Serdaxin Phase IIb trial on major depressive disorder

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company commercializing potential best in class oncology and CNS therapeutics, today announced results from its Phase IIb clinical trial of Serdaxin in major depressive disorder.

5 Nov 2011

Psychotherapy could have diverse cerebral effects depending on certain genes

Problems like anxiety and depression are caused by psychological and environmental factors, and are known to be influenced by genetic proclivities. However, it is still not clear how each factor affects the brain's functions to induce anxious and depressive symptoms.

4 Nov 2011

Vanda third quarter total revenues increase to $8.0 million

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of products for central nervous system disorders, today announced financial and operational results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2011.

4 Nov 2011

Women and men ages 45 to 64 more likely to be hospitalized for knee replacement surgery

Women and men ages 45 to 64 were 2.5 times more likely to be hospitalized for knee replacement surgery in 2009 than in 1997, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

4 Nov 2011

Cerebellum contributes to creation of cognitive map in the hippocampus

The cerebellum is far more intensively involved in helping us navigate than previously thought. To move and learn effectively in spatial environments our brain, and particularly our hippocampus, creates a "cognitive" map of the environment. The cerebellum contributes to the creation of this map through altering the chemical communication between its neurones. If this ability is inactivated, the brain is no longer able to to create an effective spatial representation and thus navigation in an environment becomes impaired.

4 Nov 2011

Impulsive men have lower levels of GABA in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Impulsive individuals tend to display aggressive behavior and have challenges ranging from drug and alcohol abuse, to problem gambling and difficult relationships. They are less able to adapt to different social situations. Impulsivity is also a common feature of psychiatric disorders.

4 Nov 2011

Dampening of emotions linked to high blood pressure

Your ability to recognize emotional content in faces and texts is linked to your blood pressure, according to a Clemson University researcher.

4 Nov 2011

Amphetamine use in adolescence can affect brain chemistry and behaviour

Amphetamine use in adolescence can cause neurobiological imbalances and increase risk-taking behaviour, and these effects can persist into adulthood, even when subjects are drug free. These are the conclusions of a new study using animal models conducted by McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) researcher Dr. Gabriella Gobbi and her colleagues.

4 Nov 2011

Scientists discover neurons responsible for light-induced arousal response

Bright light arouses us. Bright light makes it easier to stay awake. Very bright light not only arouses us but is known to have antidepressant effects. Conversely, dark rooms can make us sleepy. It's the reason some people use masks to make sure light doesn't wake them while they sleep.

4 Nov 2011

Escitalopram reduces pain severity, interference in opioid-dependent patients

In what is believed to be the first study of its kind to demonstrate an association between the antidepressant escitalopram and improved general pain, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), have found that opioid-dependent patients treated with escitalopram experienced meaningful reductions in pain severity and pain interference during the first three months of therapy.

4 Nov 2011

Loneliness can affect sleep: Sleep

A new study from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine published in the Nov. 1 issue of the journal Sleep, suggests that loneliness could be significantly associated with sleep fragmentation, but not sleep duration or subjective sleep measures.

3 Nov 2011

Marital status, income level and age affect likelihood of depression in breast cancer survivors

This year, more than 230,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and nearly 40,000 women will not survive their battle with cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. New research from the University of Missouri shows that certain factors, including marital status, having children in the home, income level and age, affect the likelihood of depression in breast cancer survivors.

3 Nov 2011

Regular physical activity associated with lower risk of depression in old age

Regular physical activity is associated with a lower risk of suffering depression in old age. This is shown by one of the largest studies on elderly Europeans to have been carried out, by researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, among others. Research also shows that self-determined motivation and perceived competence are important factors in persuading elderly people to exercise more.

3 Nov 2011

New e-tool to catch youth depression before it takes hold

Australian researchers will for the first time harness e-technology to develop a customised internet program to identify and arm healthy young people most at risk of depression before the illness takes hold.

1 Nov 2011