Archive for February, 2006
« Previous EntriesNew York Times Examines FDA Approval Of Device To Treat Depression
Tuesday, February 21st, 2006Daniel Schultz, director of FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, overruled unanimous recommendations of FDA scientists and administrators in approving a surgically implantable nerve stimulator for the treatment of severe depression, according to a … click link for more info.
New Antidepressant Drug Increases ‘brain’s Own Cannabis’
Friday, February 17th, 2006(in French at the bottom of this page) Researchers have discovered a new drug that raises the level of endocannabinoids–the ‘brain’s own cannabis’–providing anti-depressant effects. The new research published in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), suggests the new drug, called URB597, could represent a safer alternative to cannabis for the treatment of pain and depression, and open the door to new and improved treatments for clinical depression–… click link for more info.
Research Links Coverage By Top Current Affairs Programme To Rise In Adverse Drug Reports
Friday, February 17th, 2006The number of adverse reactions reported by UK doctors to the antidepressant paroxetine - often know by its brand name Seroxat - rose by 61 per cent after three editions of the BBC’s award-winning current affairs programme Panorama explored increasing concerns about the drug. Research just published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology shows a sudden increase in reports immediately after each of the three programmes were aired in the UK in October 2002… click link for more info.
Women On Antidepressants Who Stop Medication During Pregnancy Risk Experiencing Relapse, Study Says
Friday, February 17th, 2006Women on antidepressants who stop taking their medication when they become pregnant risk relapsing into depression, according to a study published in the Feb. 1 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, … click link for more info.
Scientists, Linking Gene With Serotonin And Depression, Offer Insights To New Treatments
Friday, February 17th, 2006For the more than 18 million Americans who suffer from depressive illnesses, the best pharmacological treatments are those that increase levels of serotonin, the brain chemical that regulates mood, sleep and memory. New research by an international team of scientists, led by Rockefeller University researchers in Paul Greengard’s laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, shows that a gene called p11 is closely related to serotonin transmission in the brain — and may play a key role … click link for more info.
STAR*D, A Landmark Depression Study Releases Results
Friday, February 17th, 2006The results of the “Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression” (STAR*D) study are being released in the January 2006 edition of the American Journal Of Psychiatry (AJP), a monthly psychiatric journal of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). The AJP article, Evaluation of Outcomes With Citalopram for Depression Using Measurement-Based Care in STAR*D: Implications for Clinical Practice, finds that only 30 percent of chronically depressed patients ac… click link for more info.
New Hope For Depression Suffers: Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Improves Quality Of Life For At Least Six Months For 78% Of Study.
Thursday, February 16th, 2006Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) — shock treatment —improves quality of life in patients with major depression, and that improved quality of life continues for six months, according to a report in the February Journal of Affective Disorders.The study was conducted in seven hospitals in New York City — two private psychiatric hospitals, three community hospitals and two academic medical centers, said W… click link for more info.
New Hope For Depression Suffers: Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Improves Quality Of Life For At Least Six Months For 78% Of Study.
Thursday, February 16th, 2006Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) — shock treatment —improves quality of life in patients with major depression, and that improved quality of life continues for six months, according to a report in the February Journal of Affective Disorders.The study was conducted in seven hospitals in New York City — two private psychiatric hospitals, three community hospitals and two academic medical centers, said W… click link for more info.
Research Links Coverage By Top Current Affairs Programme To Rise In Adverse Drug Reports
Wednesday, February 15th, 2006The number of adverse reactions reported by UK doctors to the antidepressant paroxetine - often know by its brand name Seroxat - rose by 61 per cent after three editions of the BBC’s award-winning current affairs programme Panorama explored increasing concerns about the drug. Research just published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology shows a sudden increase in reports immediately after each of the three programmes were aired in the UK in October 2002, May 2003 and October 2004… click link for more info.
Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy Appears Associated With Withdrawal Symptoms In Newborns
Monday, February 13th, 2006Almost one-third of 60 newborn infants whose mothers took antidepressants during pregnancy experienced neonatal abstinence syndrome, a type of withdrawal with symptoms that include high-pitched crying, tremors and disturbed sleep, according to a study in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals… click link for more info.
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