http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. (Medical Xpress)—Patients with diabetes who are depressed are much more likely to develop episodes of dangerously low blood sugars, or hypoglycemia, than are those who are not depressed, a new study has found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-depression-diabetics-severe-blood-sugar.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 24 May 2013 07:54:30 EST news288600853 Every cell in our bodies runs on a 24-hour clock, tuned to the night-day, light-dark cycles that have ruled us since the dawn of humanity. The brain acts as timekeeper, keeping the cellular clock in sync with the outside world so that it can govern our appetites, sleep, moods and much more. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-body-clocks-depressed-people-cell.html Medical research Mon, 13 May 2013 15:00:18 EST news287657541 Exercise has been shown to be an effective treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD), both when used alone and in combination with other treatments. There's now sufficient research data to provide specific guidance on how to prescribe exercise for depressed patients, according to a report in the May Journal of Psychiatric Practice. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-patients-major-depression-kind-intense.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 10 May 2013 12:50:02 EST news287407976 Patients whose severe depression goes into remission for six months following electroconvulsive therapy report a quality of life similar to that of healthy individuals, researchers say. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-ect-quality-life-severely-depressed.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:23:06 EST news285243776 (Medical Xpress)—New doctors take an oath to do no harm, but many physicians, in their zeal to prolong people's lives, often end up exposing patients to aggressive treatments that don't improve outcomes and that drive up health care costs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-patient-centered-end-of-life-happier-patients-longer.html Health Thu, 21 Mar 2013 07:39:28 EST news283070359 A new study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine suggests that depression results from a disturbance in the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. The study indicates a major shift in our understanding of how depression is caused and how it should be treated. Instead of focusing on the levels of hormone-like chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, the scientists found that the transmission of excitatory signals between cells becomes abnormal in depression. The research, by senior author Scott M. Thompson, Ph.D., Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, was published online in the March 17 issue of Nature Neuroscience. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-depression-stems-miscommunication-brain-cells.html Neuroscience Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:41:06 EST news282818457 New research highlights a memory strategy that may help people who suffer from depression in recalling positive day-to-day experiences. The study is published in Clinical Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-memory-strategy-depressed-people-good.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:24:23 EST news281017455 A new study confirms a link between insomnia and thoughts of suicide and suggests that this relationship is mediated by dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep as well as nightmares. The study suggests that the targeted assessment and treatment of specific sleep problems may reduce the risk of suicide in people with depressive symptoms. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-insomnia-predictor-suicidal-thoughts.html Sleep apnea Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:52:14 EST news280079465 Scopolamine is an anticholinergic drug with many uses. For example, it prevents nausea, vomiting, and motion sickness. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-scopolamine-drug-psychiatric-applications.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 12 Feb 2013 11:19:25 EST news279890348 Neuroscience researchers from Tufts University have found that our star-shaped brain cells, called astrocytes, may be responsible for the rapid improvement in mood in depressed patients after acute sleep deprivation. This in vivo study, published in the current issue of Translational Psychiatry, identified how astrocytes regulate a neurotransmitter involved in sleep. The researchers report that the findings may help lead to the development of effective and fast-acting drugs to treat depression, particularly in psychiatric emergencies. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-astrocytes-depression-therapy.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 23 Jan 2013 09:05:04 EST news278154298 Researchers want to know whether a sleeping pill reduces suicidal thoughts in depressed patients with insomnia. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-explores-pills-insomniac-suicidal-thoughts.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:16:38 EST news278072191 Bipolar disorder is a severe mood disorder characterized by unpredictable and dramatic mood swings between the highs of mania and lows of depression. These mood episodes occur among periods of 'normal mood', termed euthymia. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-happiness-sadness-circuits-contribute-bipolar.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 14 Jan 2013 07:40:04 EST news277369918 Unemployment poses a significant burden on the public no matter what the cause. But for those who have been diagnosed with a psychiatric illness, chronic unemployment is often coupled with significant health care costs. A Rhode Island Hospital study compared unemployment rates among those with various psychiatric disorders, and found that borderline personality disorder is associated with as much unemployment as bipolar disorder. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-borderline-personality-bipolar-disorders-similar.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 11 Dec 2012 10:51:02 EST news274445289 (Medical Xpress)—A drug that works through the same brain mechanism as the fast-acting antidepressant ketamine briefly improved treatment-resistant patients' depression symptoms in minutes, with minimal untoward side effects, in a clinical trial conducted by the National Institutes of Health. The experimental agent, called AZD6765, acts through the brain's glutamate chemical messenger system. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-experimental-agent-briefly-eases-depression.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 11 Dec 2012 08:19:31 EST news274436364 Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is considered the most effective treatment option for patients with severe depression who cannot find symptom relief through antidepressant medications or psychotherapy. In a new study, researchers at Butler Hospital and Bradley Hospital in Rhode Island found a sharp decline in the availability and use of ECT in general hospitals across the U.S. The findings were published online in the journal Biological Psychiatry on October 10, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-decline-availability-key-treatment-depression.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:50:43 EST news272645434 Whether you are an apple tree or an antelope, survival depends on using your energy efficiently. In a difficult or dangerous situation, the key question is whether exerting effort—sending out roots in search of nutrients in a drought or running at top speed from a predator—will be worth the energy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-optogenetics-illuminates-pathways-brain.html Neuroscience Sun, 18 Nov 2012 13:00:18 EST news272462332 (HealthDay)—People with rheumatoid arthritis have higher-than-normal rates of depression, which could increase their risk of death, according to a new study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-rheumatoid-arthritis-depression-deadly.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:30:07 EST news271960181 Rhode Island Hospital researcher Mark Zimmerman, M.D., director of outpatient psychiatry, has found that patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) define remission from depression differently than clinicians. While many psychiatrists and clinicians view remission from a symptom-based standpoint, the study found that patients put much more emphasis on life satisfaction and sense of well-being than on actual symptoms. The paper is published online in advance of print in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-clinicians-patients-definition-remission-depression.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:39:03 EST news270923935 (Medical Xpress) -- Scientists have discovered a biological marker that may help to identify which depressed patients will respond to an experimental, rapid-acting antidepressant. The brain signal, detectable by noninvasive imaging, also holds clues to the agent’s underlying mechanism, which are vital for drug development, say National Institutes of Health researchers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-brain-id-fast-acting-antidepressant.html Neuroscience Mon, 06 Aug 2012 08:26:28 EST news263460346 Bipolar disorder is a serious and debilitating condition where individuals experience severe swings in mood between mania and depression. The episodes of low or elevated mood can last days or months, and the risk of suicide is high. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-ketamine-bipolar-depression-minutes.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 30 May 2012 09:45:54 EST news257589770 Depression may be associated with an increased risk of arterial narrowing in the legs and pelvis, a condition known as peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology 2012 Scientific Sessions in Chicago. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-depression-linked-greater-peripheral-artery.html Cardiology Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:14:56 EST news254135677 Depressed individuals with a tendency to ruminate on negative thoughts, i.e. to repeatedly think about particular negative thoughts or memories, show different patterns of brain network activation compared to healthy individuals, report scientists of a new study in Biological Psychiatry. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-brain-networks-features-depression.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:40:01 EST news252667482 Copenhagen, 16 March 2012: Depression increases the risk of death in patients who have a coronary stent implanted. After seven years of follow up, depressed patients were 1.5 times more likely to have died than non-depressed patients. The findings were independent of age, gender, clinical characteristics, anxiety and the distressed (Type D) personality. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-depression-death-coronary-stent-patients.html Cardiology Fri, 16 Mar 2012 05:02:27 EST news251092933 Stress has numerous detrimental effects on the human body. Many of these effects are acutely felt by the sufferer, but many more go 'unseen', one of which is shortening of telomere length. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-depression-contribute-aging.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:23:20 EST news249045788 Loyola University Medical Center researchers are reporting what could become the first reliable method to predict whether an antidepressant will work on a depressed patient. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-blood-depressed-patient-antidepressants.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:58:26 EST news243176294 A new book co-authored by the director of the University of Louisville Depression Center recognizes that depression is different for everyone and provides techniques and strategies for each person to develop a personalized action plan to combat depression. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-university-louisville-professor-enables-reader.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:58:55 EST news242405927 This year, more than 230,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and nearly 40,000 women will not survive their battle with cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. New research from the University of Missouri shows that certain factors, including marital status, having children in the home, income level and age, affect the likelihood of depression in breast cancer survivors. Further, depressed patients are less likely to adhere to medication regimens, potentially complicating the progress of their treatment. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-link-depression-breast-cancer-outcomes.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:21:24 EST news239473253 A new study using MRI scans, led by Professor Jianfeng Feng, from the University of Warwick's Department of Computer Science, has found that depression frequently seems to uncouple the brain's "Hate Circuit". The study entitled "Depression Uncouples Brain Hate Circuit" is published today in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-mri-depression-uncouples-brain-circuit.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:46:36 EST news236922372 Researchers from the Heart Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia, have demonstrated the benefits of the 8-week 'Beating Heart Problems' group programme in a randomised controlled trial. According to Principal Research Fellow at the Centre, Dr Barbara Murphy, depressed participants appear to have benefited from the contact with their non-depressed peers: "In groups for depressed patients, progress can be slow. With our programme, which involved depressed and non-depressed patients in a group together, we saw that the depressed patients improved dramatically. We believe that the 'well' patients were positive role models for the depressed patients, helping them to embrace healthy behaviours and a more positive mood." http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-heart-problems-combined-group-therapy.html Cardiology Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:47:44 EST news233837246 Exercise can be as effective as a second medication for as many as half of depressed patients whose condition have not been cured by a single antidepressant medication. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-substitute-effectively-medication-people-depression.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 24 Aug 2011 03:56:40 EST news233376984