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.

Study identifies variants and genes linked to alcohol consumption

Scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai published the first of its kind research in the field of addiction genetics employing a multi-omics method to offer a huge list of causal candidate genes linked with alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorder (AUD).

24 Aug 2021

Study discovers link between corticosteroid receptors and hippocampal neuroplasticity, ciliary genes

Chronic stress is a well-known cause for mental health disorders. New research has moved a step forward in understanding how glucocorticoid hormones ('stress hormones') act upon the brain and what their function is.

9 Aug 2021

Mass spectrometry: Important analytical tool to understand Huntington’s disease proteome

Mass spectrometry has emerged as an important analytical tool for gaining a better understanding of mechanisms underlying Huntington's disease (HD), alongside the increased availability of cell and animal models of the disease.

14 Jul 2021

Study unravels genetic markers involved in life’s momentous milestones

A team of Oxford researchers successfully identified hundreds of genetic markers that are involved in two of life’s most momentous milestones.

5 Jul 2021

Commonly used antidepressant drugs can also help the immune system to attack cancer

A class of drug called monoamine oxidase inhibitors is commonly prescribed to treat depression; the medications work by boosting levels of serotonin, the brain's "happiness hormone."

10 Jun 2021

Developing computational tools to illuminate how genetic factors impact the brain

Liang Zhan, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering, received a $500,000 CAREER award from the National Science Foundation to develop computational tools that improve our understanding of the human brain.

From University of Pittsburgh 8 Jun 2021

Single biomarker in the blood can accurately indicate underlying neurodegeneration

Levels of a protein called neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the blood can identify those who might have neurodegenerative diseases such as Down's syndrome dementia, motor neuron disease (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia, when clinical symptoms are not definitive.

8 Jun 2021

Lithium concentration in the brains of depressed people varies from healthy people

Depressive diseases are among the most common illnesses in the world.

24 May 2021

Eating more fruit and vegetables linked to less stress according to new research

Eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is associated with less stress, according to new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU).

14 May 2021

Study: Individuals who recovered from depression had increased level of serotonin transporter

Low levels of serotonin in the brain are seen as a possible cause of depression and many antidepressants act by blocking a protein that transports serotonin away from the nerve cells.

11 May 2021

Genetically encoded sensor helps detect hallucinogenic substances

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have created a genetically encoded sensor for detecting hallucinogenic substances.

From The University of California, Davis 29 Apr 2021

Retinoic acid induces synaptic plasticity in the human brain

Neuroscientists agree that a person's brain is constantly changing, rewiring itself and adapting to environmental stimuli. This is how humans learn new things and create memories. This adaptability and malleability is called plasticity.

1 Apr 2021

Study reveals how lipids and water molecules control 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors

Serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is a kind of neurotransmitter. 5-HT can regulate multifaceted physiological functions such as mood, cognition, learning, memory, and emotions through 5-HT receptors.

26 Mar 2021

Gender difference accounts for major psychiatric disorders

According to an analysis of sex variations in the genetics of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and major depressive disorders.

24 Mar 2021

Sufficient rest during holidays restores functions associated with DNA regulation

According to a recent study, sufficient rest during vacation time restored functions linked to DNA regulation in shift workers deprived of sleep.

23 Feb 2021

Tiny population of neurons may play a significant role in depression

A tiny population of neurons known to be important to appetite appear to also have a significant role in depression that results from unpredictable, chronic stress, scientists say.

12 Feb 2021

Metabolites may be predictive indicators for recurrent major depressive disorder

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, in collaboration with Dutch scientists, have found that certain metabolites -- small molecules produced by the process of metabolism -- may be predictive indicators for persons at risk for recurrent major depressive disorder.

13 Jan 2021

Abnormalities in cholesterol transport protein associated with schizophrenia

Scientists have suspected mutations in a cellular cholesterol transport protein are associated with psychiatric disorders, but have found it difficult to prove this and to pinpoint how it happens.

29 Dec 2020

Scientists aim to treat and prevent disease by understanding exercise benefits

A top exercise researcher and colleagues at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have launched an ambitious effort to understand the whole-body benefits of exercise so that doctors can use that information to prevent and treat disease.

11 Dec 2020

Novel model reveals how bacteria behave in multiple scenarios with usual spatial patterns

Bacteria is all around us--not just in bathrooms or kitchen counters, but also inside our bodies, including in tumors, where microbiota often flourish. These "small ecologies" can hold the key to cancer drug therapies and learning more about them can help development new life-saving treatments.

10 Dec 2020