Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest Depression News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/depression/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170013.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170013.php Rush University Medical Center has opened the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Clinic to offer patients suffering from major depression a safe, effective, non-drug treatment. TMS therapy is the first FDA-approved, non-invasive antidepressant device-based treatment clinically proven for treatment of depression. Psychiatrists at Rush University Medical Center were among the first to test the technique and Dr. Depression Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169661.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169661.php Thanks to a new method there is a reason for hope for patients with very severe depression. Physicians at the University Clinics of Bonn and Cologne have treated ten patients with deep brain stimulation. This involved implanting electrodes in the patients' nucleus accumbens. This centre has a key role as the brains reward system, whose function may be impaired in depressive people. Subsequent to this treatment, the patients' depression improved significantly in half of the patients. Depression Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169515.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169515.php A study of an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme has found it had significant clinical results for depression and anxiety sufferers. The results are published today, 2nd November 2009, in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology. Psychology / Psychiatry Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169489.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169489.php A new study led by researchers in the UK found that an overall healthy "whole food" diet comprising a high proportion of fruits, vegetables and fish, protected middle aged people against depression compared to a processed food diet containing a high proportion of high fat dairy food, processed meat, fried food, refined grains and sugar-laden desserts. Depression Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169436.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169436.php Stress-evoked changes in circuits that regulate serotonin in certain parts of the brain can precipitate a low mood and a relapse in cocaine-seeking, based on mouse studies published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "The impetus for this research was our interest in how stress alters the brain's cell receptors and protein signals in ways that lead to mood changes, depression, anxiety, and drug seeking," said Dr. Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169360.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169360.php They found that the prevalence of all common mental disorders was 27.2%, and PTSD symptoms, 4.8%. There were no substantial differences in the prevalence of PTSD symptoms between US and UK troops deployed to Iraq, which had been previously found. In UK troops, the most common diagnoses were alcohol abuse (18.0%) and depression/anxiety (13.5%). Mental Health Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169336.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169336.php The odds triple for premature child delivery in pregnant women with a history of depression who used psychiatric medication, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Washington, University of Michigan and Michigan State University found that a combination of medication use and depression - either before or during pregnancy - was strongly linked to delivery before 35 weeks' gestation. Pregnancy / Obstetrics Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169214.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169214.php The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published guidance on the treatment and management of depression in adults with chronic physical health problems, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Serious health concerns can have a big impact on an individual's psychological wellbeing, with depression being approximately two to three times more common in people with a chronic physical health problem than in people who have good physical health. Diabetes Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169160.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169160.php The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published guidance on the treatment and management of depression in adults with chronic physical health problems. Chronic physical health problems such as cancer, heart disease or diabetes can have a serious impact on an individual's psychological wellbeing. Depression is approximately two to three times more common in patients with a chronic physical health problem than in people who have good physical health. Depression Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169121.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169121.php Mental Health America is applauding legislation introduced by a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators to establish national centers of excellence for the treatment of depression and bipolar disorders. The centers will create a national network to help diagnose people in need and improve access to evidence-based, quality care. The bill, called the "ENHANCED Act" was introduced by U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich. Bipolar Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169090.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169090.php New research shows people who feel depressed tend to recall having more physical symptoms than they actually experienced. The study indicates that depression -- not neuroticism -- is the cause of such over-reporting. Psychologist Jerry Suls, professor and collegiate fellow in the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, attributes the findings to depressed individuals recalling experiences differently, tending to ruminate over and exaggerate the bad. Depression Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169092.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169092.php Pregnant women with significant symptoms of depression tend to have a stronger biological reaction to the seasonal flu vaccine than do women with lower depression levels, according to a new study. The finding provides an argument in favor of flu vaccination during pregnancy, researchers say, because it suggests that the immune systems in depressed pregnant women are not functioning typically. Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169061.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169061.php Andrew Harrop, Head of Public Policy for Age Concern and Help the Aged, said: 'We welcome the updated NICE guidance on depression and the range of treatments it recommends; however we know that in practice health professionals are not using them when diagnosing and treating older patients with symptoms of depression. Depression Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169065.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169065.php CNS Response, Inc. (OTCBB: CNSO) announced that the company will present top-line results from its multi-site clinical trial next week at the U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress. "Referenced-EEG (rEEG®) Efficacy Compared to Star*D for Patients with Depression Treatment Failure: First Look at Final Results," will be presented by Charles DeBattista, M.D. on Monday, November 2nd, at 3:45 to 6:45 p.m. Depression Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168994.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168994.php Collectivistic cultures, which promote social harmony over individuality, protect people who are genetically predisposed to depression from experiencing the condition. So says a study published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, which looks at how genes and environment can evolve together. Depression Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169012.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169012.php Prozac works wonders for some depressed people, but not for others. In some cases, patients derive little benefit and at worst, it can lead to bizarre hallucinations and fits of rage. Researchers and doctors remain puzzled as to what causes the wide range of reaction to Prozac and similar antidepressants. The answer, Tel Aviv University researchers believe, can be found in a patient's genes. Depression Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168995.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168995.php A genetic tendency to depression is much less likely to be realized in a culture centered on collectivistic rather than individualistic values, according to a new Northwestern University study. In other words, a genetic vulnerability to depression is much more likely to be realized in a Western culture than an East Asian culture that is more about we than me-me-me. Depression Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168436.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168436.php A Dutch study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) reports that patients who consult with their family doctors for fatigue have a wide range of diagnoses, however the incidence of serious illness is low. Fatigue, because of its non-specific nature is challenging for general practitioners. It is a common problem occurring in 5 to 10 percent of patients. Primary Care / General Practice Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168657.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168657.php More than half the people who take antidepressants for depression never get relief. Why? Because the cause of depression has been oversimplified and drugs designed to treat it aim at the wrong target, according to new research from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The medications are like arrows shot at the outer rings of a bull's eye instead of the center. Depression Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168511.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168511.php A dramatic rise in antidepressant prescriptions issued by GPs has been caused by a year on year increase in the number of people taking antidepressant drugs on a long-term basis, according to researchers from the University of Southampton. In a paper, published in the printed edition of British Medical Journal, scientists found that despite a drop in the number of new patients diagnosed with depression over 11 years, the number of prescriptions doubled. Depression Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168328.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168328.php Too much light at night can lead to symptoms of depression, according to a new study in mice. Researchers found that mice housed in a lighted room 24 hours a day exhibited more depressive symptoms than did similar mice that had a normal light-dark cycle. Depression Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168261.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168261.php Depression in older cancer patients is very common, and has debilitating effects on their quality of life both during and after treatment. University of Washington researchers are showing that there are ways to better this situation. The results of their study¹ were just published online in Springer's Journal of General Internal Medicine. Depression Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168227.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168227.php Contrary to the findings of some studies, new research indicates that augmenting antidepressant therapy with an omega-3 fatty acid supplement does not result in improvement in levels of depression in patients with coronary heart disease, according to a study in the October 21 issue of JAMA. Depression Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168232.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168232.php A UQ pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of an innovative traditional Chinese exercise program on depression and obesity has produced very promising results. The proportion of participants with clinical levels of depression decreased from 60 percent to 20 percent. BMI and waist circumference also significantly decreased by 4 percent and 3 percent respectively. Depression Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168180.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168180.php Depression in older cancer patients is very common, and has debilitating effects on their quality of life both during and after treatment. University of Washington (UW) researchers are showing that there are ways to better this situation. "Little is known about the optimal approach to treating depression in this population, and older cancer patients are less likely to be treated for their depression than are younger cancer patients," said Dr. Depression