depression

New research questions basic tenet of neuron function

...ical disorders such as mental retardation, autism, depression and epilepsy, all of which have been linked to abnormal neurotransmitter function, said Dr. Kavalali. In neuronal cell cultures, the researchers labeled synaptic vesicles with a fluorescent dye and observed how and when the vesicles released neurotr...

NYC's First Rapid HIV Drug-resistant AIDS Case Prompts Call to Step Up HIV Prevention

...eople put themselves at risk-including undiagnosed depression and poor access to mental health services -- if we are to truly break the chain of infection through effective prevention, testing and treatment efforts." ...

The evolutionary triumph of flower power

...t group was happier ?more smiles and less observed depression ?than those left for last; the two-bouquet folks were happier still. The most profound results appeared when participants were tested for detailed recall of the flowers, booklet decorations and book entries. Flower power again triumphed: Those who re...

Brain May Be Less Plastic Than Hoped

...the animal's retina, centered on the fovea—a small depression in the retina where vision is most acute—and covering the blind spot. They made baseline measurements of the cortical quiet zone two to three hours after the laser surgery and compared them to new readings taken every few weeks for up to seven and a ...

Analysis Of Human Genome To Predict The Development Of Illnesses

... identification of therapeutic targets for cancer, depression and hepatitis. The School of Engineering at Navar...ets (lines of action) for ailments such as cancer, depression and hepatitis. This bioinformatics tool, designed in collaboration with the Centre for Applied Rese...

Depression gene may weaken mood-regulating circuit

...riting the short variant more than doubles risk of depression following life stresses,** boosts amygdala activit...e," an inherited temperament trait associated with depression and anxiety, was explained by how well the mood-regulating circuit was connected. "Until now, it's ...

Taking a flying jump

...ff" sequence, involving stretching of the legs and depression of the wings that can move the fly in a specific direction. Previous studies did not detect directional jumping1, but observations were made in conjunction with non-directional stimuli such as switching lights on and off. Card's results imply that t...

Many smokers fail to quit after cancer diagnosis

... may be contraindicated or co-morbidities, such as depression and/or alcohol use, must be taken into account. Targeted interventions have been designed to combine elements of behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy, but only a few studies exist assessing their efficacy. Another shortfall is that these studies, w...

Federal grant funds research on novel HIV therapy

...ng innate immune function and reducing symptoms of depression that are associated with the disease. Steven D. Douglas, M.D., professor of Pediatrics, chief of the Section of Immunology and director of Clinical Immunology Laboratories at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, is the principal investigator and...

What can change in the brain? Electrical synapses, research shows

...nge we describe here is similar to long-term mGluR depression at chemical synapses," Landisman said. "In both cases, communication between neurons is reduced." The cells Landisman and Connors used in their experiments came from the thalamic reticular nucleus, a thin sheet of neurons that is part of the thalamu...

In SAD patients, autumn antidepressants can prevent winter depression

... during the fall can reduce the risk of developing depression throughout the fall and winter months, reports a s...ttempted to prevent the development of fall-winter depression though pre-emptive treatment with the antidepressant bupropion extended release tablets. One group ...

Men and women differ in brain use during same tasks

...lverstone cited the psychiatric condition of major depression as an example of the psychological differences between men and women, because twice as many women as men have this condition. He added that there are many other psychiatric conditions in which the male and female ratio is not equal or in which males ...

Depression model leaves mice with molecular scar

... scar" in its brain that could help to explain why depression is so difficult to cure, suggest researchers funde...it failed to remove the silencers. A true cure for depression would likely have to target this persistent stress-induced scar, say the researchers, led by Eric Ne...

Animal models show that anabolic steroids flip the adolescent brain's switch for aggression

...ublished, that the serotonin system ?implicated in depression ?may never recover. "If you hit the right areas of the brain at the right time, you make permanent changes," Melloni concludes from the converging evidence. He hopes that adolescents don't take the ultimate recovery of the vasopressin system ...

Environmental tobacco smoke linked to behavior problems in children and pre-teens

...hildren without asthma who "act out" or experience depression and anxiety, according to Kimberly Yolton, Ph.D., a researcher at the Children's Environmental Health Center at Cincinnati Children's and the study's main author The study will be presented at 8:30 a.m. Pacific time Sunday, April 30, at the annual m...

Great (taste) expectations: Study shows brain anticipates taste, shifts gears

...ical psychologist specializing in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders, the new detailed insights into the power of anticipation could lead to better treatments for such conditions. "The placebo operates through expectancy. In this study, we've taken the pill out of the picture. We're just manipul...

Activation of a protein solidifies fear memory in the brain

... disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and drug addiction. "Additionally, the ability to strengthen memories by retrieval has important implications for psychotherapies," she said. ...

Study finds drug may cut down involuntary movements

... sleepiness, but restlessness, slowed movement and depression were also seen in some subjects. Suicide is common in Huntington's disease, and one subject committed suicide during the study. Patients will also need close supervision so that suicide can be prevented." ...

Commonly used antidepressants may also affect human immune system

Drugs that treat depression by manipulating the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain may also affect the user's immune system in ways that are not yet understood, say scientists from Georgetown University Medical Center and a Canadian research institute. That's because the ...

Study in Science holds promise for a new approach to drug therapy

...iseases including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression and arthritis. The study describes a new way to manipulate perhaps the most important signaling mechanism in human cells: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Human cells must be able to send signals that switch life processes on and off as they rea...

How 'hot' emotional brain interferes with 'cool' processing

...er a new approach to understanding how people with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder cope with traum...ople suffering from such anxiety disorders such as depression and PTSD, may see the world differently than other people, and that a distracter associated with tra...

It's in the genes: Study opens door to new treatment of the blues

... the expression of a gene associated with clinical depression in a new study of mice that could lead to better t...ocial withdrawal component, such as social phobia, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and that will allow us to find better ways to treat these disord...

Oops! Researchers publish new findings on the brain's response to costly mistakes

...ient. The research team hopes to study people with depression as well. ...

Nobelist discovers antidepressant protein in mouse brain

A protein that seems to be pivotal in lifting depression has been discovered by a Nobel Laureate researcher...s been implicated in psychiatric illnesses such as depression and anxiety disorders. They report on their findings in the January 6, 2005 issue of Science. Brai...

Psychotropic drug prescriptions for teens surge 250 percent over 7 year period

...psychotropic drugs, typically prescribed for ADHD, depression and other mood disorders, are approved for use in children under 18. The study is one of the first to focus on prescriptions to adolescents, rather than children in general. The study shows that by 2001, one in every ten of all office visits by te...

Possible brain hormone may unlock mystery of hibernation

...ibited by seasonal affective disorder, a recurrent depression characterized by increased sleep, overeating, and weight gain--behaviors similar to those seen in hibernators, Ohtsu noted. "Hibernation is an extreme response to a seasonal environment, yet we knew almost nothing about how it is timed, nor how vita...

Suicide risk does not increase when adults start using antidepressants, study finds

...That misperception could lead to fewer people with depression being treated with medications proven to be effective in battling depression, he adds. "There may be subgroups of people who become more agitated or suicidal after taking these drugs, and those people should seek help from a doctor or therapist righ...

Ever-happy mice may hold key to new treatment of depression

...he new research. "Current medications for clinical depression are ineffective for a third of patients, which is ...weeks." This research represents the first time depression has been eliminated through genetic alteration of an organism. "The discovery of a link between TREK...

Prozac's target revealed

... (fluoxetine) is likely to relieve the symptoms of depression by somehow causing more neurons to be present in a particular region of the brain (the "dentate gyrus"). But the origins of these neurons, and how Prozac promotes their existence, have been a mystery until now. By profiling the telltale marker prote...

Hopkins scientists show hallucinogen in mushrooms creates universal 'mystical' experience

...of patients suffering from advanced cancer-related depression or anxiety, following up suggestive research several decades ago. They're also designing studies to test a role for psilocybin in treating drug dependence. ...

UCLA study of community health project shows how group dynamics affect fitness, eating habits

...ysis of the program: Feelings of sadness or depression decreased significantly among 12-week participants; fruit and vegetable intake increased significantly and body mass index decreased marginally with the 12-week program, with no significant changes in these measures in the six-week group. The numb...

Triple threat polymer captures and releases

...lyethylene glycol," she said. "There is a slight depression of temperature at which the small molecule fragrance volatilizes and becomes a gas." However ,when they looked at the complex materials ?the ones designed to be anti-fouling materials -- they found a progression of decreasing temperature as they w...

Tastes great! Study shows brain's response to pleasing -- and changing -- tastes

... some people develop problems, such as drug abuse, depression or anorexia, that knock their pleasure response off balance. In a new paper in the November issue of the Journal of Neurophysiology, U-M neuroscientists and psychologists report the findings from direct monitoring of an area of the brain known as t...

Researchers add to understanding of how brain cells communicate

...s in the brain, including the process of long-term depression (which, like long-term potentiation, is thought to be essential for learning and memory) and disease. A better understanding of how NMDA receptors work could lead to better treatments for schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and stroke, said Johnson. ...

Researchers discover key mechanism by which lethal viruses Ebola and Marburg cause disease

... sequence in Filoviruses that results in the rapid depression of immunological response is described in the December 2006 issue of The FASEB Journal. Using this information, researchers can begin to develop new drugs to stop these devastating diseases. Filoviruses, named for their threadlike appearance in ele...

Exposure to dioxins influences male reproductive system, study of Vietnam veterans concludes

...mass and strength, infertility, increased fatigue, depression and reduced bone density," Dr. Gupta said. "However, we could not conclude from this study that dioxin exposure did lead to any of these adverse affects in the veterans in the study." The study points out the necessity to conduct additional enviro...

Adolescent but not adult hamsters are more aggressive on low dose of fluoxetine

...r (SSRI), is the only medication approved to treat depression in children and adolescents. However, it has carried an FDA "black box" warning since Fall 2004 due to findings of increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in some children and adolescents on the drugs. Fluoxetine affects the regulation of...

New brain-chemistry differences found in depressed women

...finds major differences between women with serious depression and healthy women in a brain-chemical system that'...d emotions. The study adds further evidence that depression has its roots in specific alterations within the brain -- specifically in the endogenous opioid syst...

Gene linked with mental illness shapes brain region, researchers find

...to emotional stimuli and more likely to experience depression than people with one or no SERT-s genes. The researchers studied brains from 49 deceased people, with and without psychiatric illnesses. The brains were sliced thinly, the size of the pulvinar measured, the number of nerve cells counted, and the ...

New gene linked to bipolar disorder

A new gene linked to both depression and bipolar disorder has been identified by UCL (U...scovery will eventually lead to new treatments for depression and bipolar disorder, including possible preventive strategies, for example with drugs or even throu...

Computer with brain connections changing quality of life of paralyzed

...e. Only 9% of ALS patients showed long episodes of depression and most were during the period following diagnosi...after tracheotomy. "Most instruments measuring depression and quality of life are invalid for paralyzed people living in protected environments because most o...

Low levels of neurotransmitter serotonin may perpetuate child abuse across generations

...evels of serotonin are associated with anxiety and depression and impulsive aggression in both humans and monkeys. Abused females who became abusive mothers in adulthood had lower serotonin in their brains than abused females who did not become abusive parents, the research showed. Because the biological ...

Huddling and a drop in metabolism allow penguins to survive the South Pole cold

... contrast to the expected temperature rise, is the depression of metabolic rate. Such depression could be achieved by entering sleep. In fact, during tight huddles, birds were observed with their e...

Does a peptide affect the heart's response to social isolation?

...ial isolation, may increase the risk of developing depression and anxiety as well as heart disease. Prairie ...heir families, they displayed behaviors similar to depression and cardiovascular changes indicating a possible increased risk of heart disease (including elevated...

New insights into autoimmunity and depression

...l/arthritis ), shed light on the brain pathways of depression in general and in central nervous system dysfuncti...on. Imaging studies both in patients with clinical depression and patients with SLE could help determine whether these pathways are similarly affected in humans. ...

New test helps identify hepatitis C patients at high risk of developing cirrhosis

... per year and can cause flu-like symptoms, nausea, depression and other side effects. And only half of patients undergoing this therapy will be cured of the infection. Nearly 4 million Americans are infected with the hepatitis C virus, of which nearly 80 percent have a chronic infection, according to the ...

Common algae helps illustrate mammalian brain electrical circuitry

...amage, neuron loss in Alzheimer’s disease, or even depression are treated by fiber optics delivering light to genetically defined populations of nerve cells....

Scientists to track impact of Asian dust and pollution on clouds, weather, climate change

...amage, neuron loss in Alzheimer’s disease, or even depression are treated by fiber optics delivering light to genetically defined populations of nerve cells....

Common gene version optimizes thinking -- but with a possible downside

...eam that ultimately linked this pivotal protein to depression and substance abuse as well as to schizophrenia," added NIMH Director Thomas Insel, M.D. To understand DARPP-32's role in the human brain, the NIMH researchers used genetic, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, and post-mortem te...

Lithium builds gray matter in bipolar brains, UCLA study shows

... by a roller coaster of emotions between mania and depression ?are not well understood. Nor is it understood how lithium works in controlling these severe mood swings, even though it has been the standard treatment for some 50 years. These new findings suggest that lithium may work by increasing the amount of g...

Imaging pinpoints brain regions that 'see the future'

...servation of very young children, cases of severe depression and brain damaged persons with amnesia. "There's a little known and not that well investigated finding that if you have an amnesic person who can't remember the past, they're also not at all good about thinking about what they might be doing tomorr...

New compound prevents alcoholic behavior, relapse in animals by blocking stress response

...ompound may prove to be useful in the treatment of depression or anxiety disorders, in which CRF levels can be especially high. The compound or similar molecules can be given orally, reach the brain in sufficient amounts to block more than 90 percent of certain brain CRF receptors, and do not accumulate in ...

A 'traffic light' for neurons means 'go' for improving brain research

...at's going wrong in patients with ailments such as depression or Parkinson's disease. New Stanford-led research published in the April 5 issue of Nature describes a technique to directly control brain cell activity with light. It is a novel means for experimenting with neural circuits and could eventually lead ...

Stanford-led study closes in on genes that may predispose some people to severe depression

...o members suffered from repeated bouts of severe depression that began in childhood or early adult life. The ...ence of genetic "linkage" within families between depression and DNA markers on the various chromosomes. The linkage study identified regions worthy of more in...

Slowing the racing heart

...esent in high concentrations in the heart, signals depression in the action of adrenaline and adrenaline-like chemicals on the pacemaker cell, playing an important role in slowing down the heart rate. "The enzyme works through calcium and potassium channels that we know to be key players in the generation an...

Gene malfunctions cause schizophrenia, depression symptoms in mice

...ne that had been associated with schizophrenia and depression does indeed cause symptoms of those disorders. They said their findings in mice offer a possible animal model for developing treatments for schizophrenia and depression. Also, they said their findings support the theory that the two disorders share c...

Brain holds clues to bipolar disorder

...ause of bipolar, rather than treating flare-ups of depression or mania, and also provide new targets, for improved medications many of which are being tested in clinical trials. Mary Phillips, M.D., professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of functional neuroima...

Nicotine rush hinges on sugar in neurons

...on, Stevens pointed to epilepsy, schizophrenia and depression as targets for improved drugs that could result from the study’s findings. The study provides the first detailed look at part of the mouse nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), one in a large and important group of molecules, known as ion chann...