Depression

Australian scientists have developed a world-first test claimed to accurately measure levels of a brain protein associated with depression and bipolar disorder. The test could offer doctors an objective diagnostic tool to assess patients.

In the largest and longest follow-up study to date investigating the lingering effects of COVID-19, researchers have found more than two-thirds of hospitalized patients report at least one ongoing symptom six months after contracting the disease.

How bacteria in the gut could influence depression has been unclear but new research has shed light on one possible mechanism, showing how changes to the microbiome can lead to decreased activity in the hippocampus and subsequent depressive behavior.

A new analysis of US patient data has found nearly one in five people are diagnosed with a psychiatric illness within three months of a positive COVID-19 test. The study suggests recovered patients are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety or depression.

A new study is presenting the first published data from preliminary human trials investigating the effect of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat major depressive disorder (MDD). The incredibly positive results have been described as just a “taste of things to come” with larger a Phase 2 trial well underway.

For years research has detected a correlation between depression and risk of stroke. A new study is offering more evidence of the link, presenting data from a research project investigating whether race factors into the depression/stroke relationship.

Dopamine and serotonin are brain chemicals implicated in a range of neurological disorders including Parkinson’s and depression. A new tool is offering an unprecedented look at these neurotransmitters in action.

A new survey has found owning a pet is associated with better mental health during COVID-19 lockdowns. The survey also linked pet ownership to lower levels of loneliness, and both positive associations were detected regardless of species.

A new proof of concept study, led by researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, has demonstrated how speech-analyzing artificial intelligence tools can effectively predict the level of loneliness in older adults.

In order to see if an antidepressant works, patients have to take the drug for at least a month. New research, however, suggests that by monitoring a sleeping patient's brainwaves, the effectiveness of an antidepressant can be gauged in a week.

New research has shown depression can be detected by monitoring a person's heart rate over a 24-hour period. The small study needs more verification but it points to a biomarker that could be easily integrated into patient monitoring systems.

The results of the largest clinical trial ever conducted into the relationship between vitamin D and depression suggest the vitamin does not improve mood or prevent depression. The trial did not investigate subjects with pre-existing vitamin D deficiencies.