Ketamine Cousin Rapidly Lifts Depression Without Side Effects
A new study funded by the NIMH suggests GLYX-13, a molecular cousin to ketamine, induces similar antidepressant results without the negative side effects of the well known street drug.
Out of Sync: Body Clocks Altered at Cell Level in Depression
Researchers discover evidence of altered circadian rhythms and disrupted brain gene orchestration in patients with major depression.
Nerve Stimulation for Severe Depression Changes Brain Function
Preliminary brain scan studies reveal how vagus nerve stimulation brings about changes in brain metabolism weeks prior to patients with depression entering into recovery.
Sensational Success in Patients with Major Depression Using Deep Brain Stimulation
Researchers implanted pacemaker electrodes into the medial forebrain bundle of patients suffering from major depression and performed deep brain stimulation. In a matter of days, in six out of seven patients, symptoms such as anxiety, despondence, listlessness and joylessness had improved considerably.
Researchers Uncover Key to Antidepressant Response
Researchers identify a protein that appears to be the target of both antidepressant drugs and electroconvulsive therapy. The experimental results explain how these therapies likely work to relieve depression by stimulating stem cells in the brain to grow and mature.
Astrocytes Identified as Target for New Depression Therapy
Neuroscientists found that astrocytes may be responsible for the rapid improvement in mood in depressed patients after acute sleep deprivation. This study identified how astrocytes can regulate a neurotransmitter involved in sleep.
Common Parasite May Trigger Suicide Attempts
New research adds to the growing work linking an infection caused by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite to suicide attempts. About 10-20 percent of people in the United States have T. gondii, in their bodies.
Brain Signal IDs Responders to Fast-Acting Antidepressants
Scientists have discovered a biological marker that may help to identify which depressed patients will respond to an experimental, rapid-acting antidepressant like ketamine. The brain signal, detectable by noninvasive imaging, also holds clues to the agent’s underlying mechanism, which are vital for drug development, say NIH researchers.
Why the Thrill is Gone: Scientists Identify Potential Target for Treating Major Symptom of Depression
Scientists have laid bare a novel molecular mechanism responsible for the major depression symptom, anhedonia, the loss of the ability to experience pleasure. The brain circuit involved in this newly elucidated pathway is largely identical between rodents and humans, upping the odds that the findings point toward new therapies for depression and other disorders. Additionally, opinion leaders hailed the study’s inventive methodology, saying it may offer a much sounder approach to testing new antidepressants.
Remembering to Forget
New research suggests that it is possible to suppress emotional autobiographical memories. The study published this month by psychologists at the University of St Andrews reveals that individuals can be trained to forget particular details associated with emotional memories. The important findings may offer exciting new potential for therapeutic interventions for individuals suffering from emotional [...]
