Depression

A new research program from DARPA is looking to remove those pesky hallucinatory side effects from psychedelic medicines such as MDMA & psilocybin.

​If you suffer from depression, you've likely been advised to get plenty of exercise. Scientists have now gained a fresh understanding of how being active helps alleviate the condition, and they believe that their findings could lead to better treatments.

A study led by Harvard Medical School researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital has found levels of amyloid beta plaques in the brain, the primary pathological characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease, can be directly correlated with both increasing symptoms of depression, and worsening cognition.

​First of all, no one is suggesting that if you suffer from depression and anxiety, you should drink a lot of red wine. That would ultimately NOT help the situation. However, it turns out that a plant-derived compound IN the wine – known as resveratrol – could indeed make a difference.

A study has followed thousands of teenagers tracking associations between screen time and depression. The research separated types of screen time, and found TV and social media activity correlated with increased symptoms of depression, but video game and computer use had little negative effect.

Boredom is as universal a human state as happiness or sadness, but the degree to which it is triggered in different individuals is incredibly subjective. A fascinating study, looking at brainwave activity in bored subjects, has found boredom is heightened by a lack of left frontal brain activity.

One of the challenges of dealing with depression, anxiety, or bi-polar disorder is the fact that your emotions can take control of you, without your even realizing that it's happening. An experimental new wristband could help, as it alerts wearers to changes in their emotional state.

Two new research papers are shedding light on the fascinating relationship between inflammation and behavior, suggesting our immune system can play a significant role in both our motivation and decision-making abilities.

An intriguing study suggests there is a direct causative link between a high-fat diet and the development of depression. The research demonstrates how certain dietary fats can enter the brain, disrupt specific signaling pathways in the hypothalamus, and subsequently induce signs of depression.

​Two new studies build on a growing body of evidence linking depression with mechanisms in our gut.​ While one team has uncovered a connection between serotonin and gut dysfunction, another team found microbiome transplants can transfer symptoms of depression from one animal to another.

The search is on for clearer, more straightforward ways to diagnose depression and anxiety, and scientists at the University of Vermont believe they have unearthed another with the help of a newly developed AI algorithm that can detect telltale signals in a subject's speech. ​

A study led by scientists at Yale University has described the promising early-stage results of a new drug designed to mimic the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine, but without that drug’s dissociative psychoactive qualities. The experimental drug is currently in early phases of human testing.