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.

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

Researcher develops procedures for defining preclinical stages of Alzheimer's disease

Both of Andrew Kiselica's grandfathers developed dementia when he was in graduate school. As Kiselica was going through neuropsychology training in graduate school, he saw his mother's father become unable to walk or speak due to severe dementia.

12 Nov 2020

Study suggests that melatonin may be a viable treatment option for COVID-19

New findings indicate that melatonin could be a potential treatment option for COVID-19.

10 Nov 2020

Experts use super-resolution microscopy to observe individual synapse proteins

In the synapses of nerve cells (neurons), there are hundreds of specialized proteins that are important for the functioning of the nervous system. If something goes wrong here, neurological or psychiatric diseases can be the result - Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, depression, and schizophrenia are just a few of them.

6 Nov 2020

Researchers show how AI may help in improving pregnant women's health

Researchers from the University of Seville have carried out a rigorous and detailed analysis of how artificial intelligence has been used with pregnant women over the last twelve years.

5 Nov 2020

BMA: Most hospital trusts do not have a policy to reduce consumption of single-use plastics

Almost six out of ten hospital trusts don’t have plans in place to manage or reduce their consumption of single-use plastics, according to BMA research on climate change

2 Nov 2020

Researchers find genetic correlations between inflammatory bowel disease and stress, depression

Using sophisticated 3D genomic mapping and integrating with public data resulting from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have found significant genetic correlations between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and stress and depression.

30 Oct 2020

Climate change-driven wildfires cause devastating health impacts

Immediate actions are needed to limit the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change that helps fuel wildfires, a Monash University study says.

14 Oct 2020

Dopamine and serotonin found to be involved in perception, cognitive capacities

In first-of-their-kind observations in the human brain, an international team of researchers has revealed two well-known neurochemicals -- dopamine and serotonin -- are at work at sub-second speeds to shape how people perceive the world and take action based on their perception.

13 Oct 2020