Depressed Jane

UK general practice will face increased pressures as a result of the economic downturn, according to a survey of 220 UK practice managers published in the latest issue of Management in Practice, the leading information resource for general practice managers. Seven in 10 respondents to the survey, sponsored independently by the Royal Bank of Scotland (see www.managementinpractice.com/surveys), said they expected to see a drop in their practice’s profits next year.

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Research done by scientists in Italy and Switzerland has shown that carbon nanotubes may be the ideal “smart” brain material. Their results, published in the advance online edition of the journal Nature Nanotechnology, are a promising step forward in the search to find ways to “bypass” faulty brain wiring. The research shows that carbon nanotubes, which, like neurons, are highly electrically conductive, form extremely tight contacts with neuronal cell membranes.

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Earthquakes have aftershocks – not just the geological kind but the mental kind as well. Just like veterans of war, earthquake survivors can experience post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. In 1988, a massive earthquake in Armenia killed 17,000 people and destroyed nearly half the town of Gumri.

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Sexual abuse in childhood increases the risk of suicide in men by up to ten times, say researchers from the University of Bath. A recent study of Australian men has found that those who were sexually abused as children are more likely than women to contemplate taking their own lives.

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The U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has asked AstraZeneca, the makers of Seroquel XR (quetiapine fumarate), for additional information for its extended release tablets for the treatment of MDD (Major Depressive Disorder) in adult patients. The FDA’s CRL (Complete Response Letter) was sent to AstraZeneca on 24th December. AstraZeneca says it is evaluating the contents of the letter and the proposed labeling revisions.

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Prozac is regularly prescribed to ease the emotional pain of patients who are being treated for cancer. But can this common anti-depressant help to fight cancer itself? Dr. Dan Peer of the Department of Cell Research and Immunology at Tel Aviv University is proving that it can. A study he and his colleagues recently completed validates that Prozac (chemical name fluoxetine) dramatically enhances the effectiveness of a widely used anti-cancer drug.

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A new study shows that antidepressant drugs which only affect serotonin, often used as first choice treatments, may not be best for depression in people with Parkinson’s disease. The new research is published in the December 17, 2008, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Depression affects up to 50 percent of people with Parkinson’s disease.

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A new study has revealed the most commonly prescribed medication for Australian women is antidepressants. The study, by researchers from Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH). Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Medicare data were linked to survey data to examine claims and costs of medications and other health care resources.

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Anyone will tell you that stress is bad for the heart. Many people also know about the toxic effects of anxiety and depression. But how exactly do these negative emotions cripple the cardiovascular system – and what can be done about it? New research published in the December 16/23, 2008, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) offers some answers.

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Learning a feeling of safety activates cellular and molecular processes that act against depression. This has been analysed using a new animal model that helps examine and explain the relevant cell biology processes more effectively. The findings now published in the journal Neuron show that “learned safety” can have an anti-depressive effect comparable to pharmacological antidepressants but that this effect is controlled by other molecular processes.

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