Depression News and Research

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Depression is a serious medical illness that involves the brain. It's more than just a feeling of being "down in the dumps" or "blue" for a few days. If you are one of the more than 20 million people in the United States who have depression, the feelings do not go away. They persist and interfere with your everyday life.

Researchers Highlight Crucial Contributions of Astrocytes to Mental Health

The health and function of the brain depend on astrocytes, which are essential cells in the central nervous system. According to recent research, they affect behaviors and higher cognitive functions by controlling local neuronal activity.

22 Apr 2024

What Makes Certain Mushrooms 'Magic'?

In a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications, an international research team from various Universities including Hans Knöll Institute investigated the biosynthesis of psilocybin, the primary component of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

17 Apr 2024

Promising Compound Shows Potential in Reducing Alcohol Consumption

Scripps Research scientists have found that LY2444296-;a compound that selectively blocks the kappa opioid receptor (KOP)-;may reduce drinking in cases of alcohol dependence in animal studies.

30 Mar 2024

The Incredible Impact of Mass Spectrometry on Brain Imaging

Researchers Jonathan Sweedler, a professor of chemistry, and Fan Lam, a professor of bioengineering, at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, described how spatial omics technologies can unveil the molecular complexity of the brain at various scales.

6 Mar 2024

New Method Disentangles Internal Brain Activity From Visual Input

Maryam Shanechi, Dean’s Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Founding Director of the USC Center for Neurotechnology, along with her team, has devised a novel machine learning approach.

15 Feb 2024

Diagnostic Biochips: Brain Research Tools for the Future

In this interview, we delve into the innovative world of Diagnostic Biochips with its founder, Brian Jamieson. He shares insights into the company's inception, its contributions to advancing brain research, and the future of neural interfacing technology.

1 Feb 2024

A New Tool for Monitoring Neuronal Inhibition

By tracking when distinct subsets of brain cells activate, researchers have understood the complex activity patterns found in both human and animal brains for many years. Knowing how long those neurons stay active and when they turn off again is crucial to understanding the brain and its associated disorders.

24 Jan 2024

New Technology Enables Minimally-Invasive, High-Resolution Recording of Brain Activity

Sensors built with a new manufacturing approach are capable of recording activity deep within the brain from large populations of individual neurons–with a resolution of as few as one or two neurons–in humans as well as a range of animal models, according to a study published in the Jan. 17, 2024 issue of the journal Nature Communications.

18 Jan 2024

Ancient DNA Reveals Reason for High Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s Rates in Europe

Researchers have created the world’s largest ancient human gene bank by analysing the bones and teeth of almost 5,000 humans who lived across western Europe and Asia up to 34,000 years ago.

10 Jan 2024

B12-Producing Gut Bacteria Modulate Neurotransmitter Levels and Reduce Seizures in C. elegans

A new study published in Nature Cell Biology by Mark Alkema, PhD, professor of neurobiology, establishes an important molecular link between specific B12-producing bacteria in the gut of the roundworm C. elegans and the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter important to memory and cognitive function.

5 Jan 2024

Teneurin-3: Protein That Helps for Circadian Rhythm Stability in Mice

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have discovered a protein in mice’s visual systems that seems to be essential for regulating the body’s circadian rhythms by reducing the brain’s sensitivity to light.

29 Dec 2023

Philanthropic Partnership Unlocks £32 Million for the Future of Best-in-Class UK Biobank

Former CEO and Chairman of Google Eric Schmidt, and Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel and founder of Griffin Catalyst, are today (Monday 30 October) being announced as the first members of a new consortium that will shape the future of the best-in-class UK Biobank.

31 Oct 2023

Yeast-Based Method Could Accelerate Discovery of Plant-Based Medicinal Compounds

Cornell researchers have harnessed the power of baker's yeast to create a cost-effective and highly efficient approach for unraveling how plants synthesize medicinal compounds, and used the new method to identify key enzymes in a kratom tree.

19 Oct 2023

The First Microrobots Capable of Navigating Within Groups of Cells and Stimulating Individual Cells

A group of researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has developed the world's first microrobot ("microbot") capable of navigating within groups of cells and stimulating individual cells.

12 Sep 2023

Genetic Risk of Depression Linked to Increased Risk of Other Psychiatric Disorders

Recent research reveals that people who are hospitalized for depression are at an increased risk of developing conditions like substance abuse, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety, depending on their genetic predisposition to the individual disorder.

30 Aug 2023

Newly Developed Antibody Therapy to Have Benefits Over Existing Opioid-Overdose Treatments

An antibody in single-chain fragment variable (scFv) format that binds to the powerful opioid carfentanil was shown to reverse signs of carfentanil overdose in preclinical tests conducted by scientists at Scripps Research.

11 Aug 2023

New Mechanism to Maintain Astrocyte-Neuron Communication

Neurons and astrocytes are the two types of cells required by the brain to enjoy the scent of morning coffee and freshly baked cookies or to discern the warning smell of something burning.

16 Jun 2023

Laxative Prucalopride can Have Important Effects in the Brain Circuits Crucial for Learning and Memory

Cognitive deficits accompany mood disorders and other psychiatric conditions, often with debilitating effects.

14 Jun 2023

Study Links Timing of Childhood Adversity With Epigenetic Patterns in Adolescents

Childhood adversity-;circumstances that threaten to a child's physical or psychological well-being--has long been associated with poorer physical and mental health throughout life, such as greater risks of developing cardiac disease, cancer, or depression.