Depression News and Research

Latest Depression News and Research

Paramedics at risk of stress, anxiety and depression: Study

According to the latest research paramedics are at a high risk of stress and depression. The Victorian study showed that around ten per cent of paramedics were found to have severe or extremely severe depression, while 40 per cent reported feeling the effects of stress. Nearly 25% were also found to suffer an “above normal degree of anxiety”.

25 Oct 2010

Motherhood helps women grow their grey matter: Study

According to the latest research motherhood helps women grow their grey matter. The study was conducted by scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health in Maryland and it showed that the brains of new mothers substantially gained in nerve cells while they coped with the steep learning curve of dealing with a newborn. Also in a bizarre way, mothers who ‘gushed’ the most about their babies showed the greatest growth in key parts of the brain.

24 Oct 2010

Researchers suggest gene therapy may treat patients with major depression

In a report published in the Oct. 20 issue of Science Translational Medicine, researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center say animal and human data suggest gene therapy to the brain may be able to treat patients with major depression who do not respond to traditional drug treatment.

22 Oct 2010

Study finds online activities does not effect long-term psychological health

After the campus shootings at Virginia Tech in 2007 and Northern Illinois University in 2008, hundreds of affected students turned to social media websites to share their grief and search for solace. A new study of these students found that their online activities neither helped nor harmed their long-term psychological health.

21 Oct 2010

Researcher creates novel theory about chronic depression

Chronic depression is an adaptive, reparative neurobiological process gone wrong, say two University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers, positing in a new theory that the debilitating mental state originates from more ancient mechanisms used by the body to deal with physical injury, such as pain, tissue repair and convalescent behavior.

21 Oct 2010

Motherhood may cause brain to grow

Motherhood may actually cause the brain to grow, not turn it into mush, as some have claimed. Exploratory research published by the American Psychological Association found that the brains of new mothers bulked up in areas linked to motivation and behavior, and that mothers who gushed the most about their babies showed the greatest growth in key parts of the mid-brain.

21 Oct 2010

Effects of breast cancer do not end after chemotherapy

For some women, the effects of breast cancer, the most common cancer affecting women, do not end when they leave the hospital. Now, researchers in the University of Missouri School of Health Professions have studied the lives of breast cancer patients following chemotherapy and found that their environments and available support systems help determine the quality of their lives.

21 Oct 2010

Mothers who gush about babies grow bigger brains

21 Oct 2010

Metabolon receives patent for biomarkers to determine PPAR-affecting drugs

Metabolon, Inc., leaders in global metabolomics, biomarker discovery and biochemical analysis, announced today the grant of US Patent 7,807,138 entitled "Biomarkers of Metabolic Responses to Hepatic Drugs". The USPTO awarded the patent to Metabolon on October 5, 2010. This is the 13th patent issued to Metabolon and the second in its portfolio of biomarker patents.

21 Oct 2010

CRN reinforces importance of DHA before, during and after pregnancy

In response to a study regarding fish oil use during pregnancy published in the October 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement industry, reminds pregnant and lactating women of the undisputed importance of consuming the recommended amounts of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) throughout pregnancy.

20 Oct 2010

Neuralstem updates Phase I human clinical trial of spinal cord stem cells for ALS

Neuralstem, Inc. updated the progress of its ongoing Phase I human clinical trial of the company's spinal cord stem cells in the treatment of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease) at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

20 Oct 2010

Study finds ketamine-propofol combination effective for pediatric procedural sedation

Procedural sedation and analgesia is an essential element of care for children requiring painful procedures in the emergency department. The practice of combining ketamine and propofol, two common medications used in emergency departments, has become more popular. However, until recently, it was unclear whether this practice was superior to the use of either agent alone, especially in children.

20 Oct 2010

Consumption of fish oil capsules during pregnancy does not reduce post-natal depression

A University of Adelaide study has found no evidence that taking fish oil capsules during pregnancy can help reduce the risk of post-natal depression, contrary to international recommendations.

20 Oct 2010

$IOF urges health professionals and public to recognize signs of spinal fractures$

IOF urges health professionals and public to recognize signs of spinal fractures

A new report issued by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) for World Osteoporosis Day puts the spotlight on the severe impact of spinal fractures and calls on health professionals to recognize the signs of these fractures in their patients.

20 Oct 2010

Fish oil not as good for pregnant mums as thought: Study

According to a new Australian study, taking fish oil / docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplements during pregnancy does not appear to reduce the risk of postpartum depression of mothers or boost the language development and cognitive skills of their children.

19 Oct 2010

Study indicates vitamin D deficiency may increase lung transplant rejection

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a significant increase in lung transplant rejection, according to research conducted at Loyola University Health System (LUHS). These data were presented Monday at The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2010 annual meeting in Toronto, Ontario.

19 Oct 2010

Studies explore impact of upper GI conditions on sleep

The impact of upper GI conditions, like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and functional dyspepsia, on sleep—and treatments aimed at providing relief to heartburn/acid reflux patients who suffer from disordered sleep—were explored in three new studies related to sleep dysfunction presented today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 75th Annual Scientific meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

18 Oct 2010

Nektar presents data of NKTR-181 mu-opioid analgesic candidate at Pain 2010 Symposium

Nektar Therapeutics presented promising data today from preclinical studies of NKTR-181, a next-generation mu-opioid analgesic candidate with a novel molecular design. NKTR-181 is being developed to effectively treat pain while addressing the abuse liability and serious side effects associated with traditional opioid therapies.

18 Oct 2010

Researchers discover gene that contributes to depression

Yale University researchers have found a gene that seems to be a key contributor to the onset of depression and is a promising target for a new class of antidepressants, they report Oct. 17 in the journal Nature Medicine.

18 Oct 2010

Genetic link to depression: New avenues for therapy

Yale University scientists have found a gene that appears to play a key role in the onset of depression. This could mean new avenues of therapy for the disease. The gene in question is called MKP-1 and was identified after comparing the genetic codes of 21 deceased people who had been diagnosed with depression with those of 18 otherwise healthy individuals. The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine on 17th of October.

18 Oct 2010