Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) say that a novel drug has been found to reduce symptoms of depression within three days of the first administration, though it generally takes three to four weeks for conventional antidepressant treatments to become effective.
The discovery of treatments with a more rapid onset is a major goal of biological psychiatry. The first drug found to produce rapid improvement in mood was the NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist, ketamine.
Depression - Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders affecting approximately 340 million people in the world. No one is immune from depression - it occurs in people of all social classes, all countries and all cultural settings.
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders affecting approximately 340 million people in the world. No one is immune from depression - it occurs in people of all social classes, all countries and all cultural settings.
Scopolamine temporarily blocks the muscarinic cholinergic receptor, thought to be overactive in people suffering from depression.
For the study, Drs. Wayne Drevets and Maura Furey recruited outpatients with major depressive disorder who were randomly assigned to receive placebo and then scopolamine treatment, or vice versa, in a double-blinded design so that neither the researchers nor the patients knew which treatment they were receiving.
Wives' Depression Aggravated By Husbands' Hostile Attitude
Hostile and anti-social behaviour of husbands increases their wives' symptoms of depression, a new study claims.
Hostile and anti-social behaviour of husbands increases their wives' symptoms of depression, a new study claims.
"Moreover, one-half of participants experienced full symptom remission by the end of the treatment period. Finally, participants remained well during a subsequent placebo period, indicating that the antidepressant effects persist for at least two weeks in the absence of further treatment," Dr. Furey added.
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Depression Common Among Pregnant Women, but Frequently Undiagnosed
Prenatal depression is a common but frequently undiagnosed condition that affects pregnant women
Prenatal depression is a common but frequently undiagnosed condition that affects pregnant women
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New Biomarker To Accurately Predict The Effectiveness Of Drug That Treats Depression
University of California scientists have identified a biomarker that can help accurately predict whether a particular drug will be effective in treating major depression.
University of California scientists have identified a biomarker that can help accurately predict whether a particular drug will be effective in treating major depression.
