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Archive for July, 2008

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Study Identifies Changes To DNA In Major Depression And Suicide

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Autopsies usually point to a cause of death but now a study of brain tissue collected during these procedures, may explain an underlying cause of major depression and suicide. The international research group, led by Dr. Michael O. Poulter of Robarts Research Institute at The University of Western Ontario and Dr.

GPs Support Responsible Use Of SSRIs In Children And Adolescents - Royal Australian College Of General Practitioners

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Recent media coverage has questioned the prescription and safety of a class of antidepressants called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) in children and adolescents. “General practitioners are a critical part of the mental health care system in Australia and are often the first point of contact in the health system for […]

Dems Unable To End Sen. Coburn’s Hold On 34 Bills, Including Postpartum Depression Measure

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

Senate Democrats on Monday failed to advance legislation (S 3297) that combined 34 bills that Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has blocked, CQ Today reports. The package included disease specific research measures, environmental protection legislation and measures aimed at bolstering foreign economies. Language from a measure (

N.Y. Research Team Discovers How Antidepressants And Cocaine Interact With Brain Cell Targets

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

In a first, scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University Medical Center have described the specifics of how brain cells process antidepressant drugs, cocaine and amphetamines. These novel findings could prove useful in the development of more targeted medication therapies for a host of psychiatric diseases, most notably in the area of addiction.

Study Of Molecular Genetics Of Depression: VCU Awarded Wellcome Trust Foundation Grant

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Virginia Commonwealth University is part of an international research team that received a Wellcome Trust Foundation grant totaling more than $2.8 million to identify the genetic variants that have an impact on the risk for recurrent major depression.

The Health Benefits Of Daughters-In-Law On Chinese Elders

Sunday, July 27th, 2008

In a new twist on the Confucian ideal of filial piety, a study finds that the assistance of daughters-in-law - but not their own children - helps mitigate depression among older people in China. This is particularly true in rural areas, where elders may rely more heavily on family to be support providers.

Total Antidepressant Prescriptions Rise By 16 Million, USA

Thursday, July 24th, 2008

Prescriptions filled for antidepressant drugs increased from 154 million in 2002 to 170 million in 2005, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Among the prescriptions (not including refills) which were written after patients talked with doctors in-person or over the phone.

Targacept Starts Phase 2b Clinical Trial Of TC-5214 As Augmentation Treatment In Major Depressive Disorder

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008

Targacept, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRGT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of drugs known as NNR Therapeutics™, today announced that it has initiated a Phase 2b clinical trial of TC-5214 as an augmentation therapy in subjects with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). TC-5214 is a broad spectrum neuronal nicotinic receptor (NNR) antagonist and represents a […]

Intervention Delivered By Nurses Can Help Combat Depression In Cancer Patients

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008

A team of Scottish researchers have shown that cancer patients offered a depression care intervention - delivered by specially trained oncology nurses with no previous psychiatric experience - showed improvements in symptoms of depression compared to patients offered usual care. The beneficial effects of the “Depression Care for People with Cancer” package (DCPC) were found […]

CO-MED Trial: Two-Drug Test Approach To Depression

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008

Hoping to answer a question raised by the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have designed the Combining Medication to Enhance Outcomes of Depression (CO-MED) trial to test multiple-medication treatment of depression. “We are trying two active, Food and Drug Administration-marketed antidepressant medicines available by […]

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