by Jeff Hodson, Simon Fraser University Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The use of antidepressants is associated with sexual side effects including reduced genital sensitivity that persists after stopping the medication, a new Simon Fraser University study finds. The study, published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, indicates that 13% of people who used antidepressants reported a reduction in genital...
Tag: <span>antidepressant</span>
Antidepressant shows promise for treating brain tumors
September 20, 2024 by ETH Zurich Credit: Sohyon Lee and Berend Snijeder / ETH ZurichGlioblastoma is a particularly aggressive brain tumor that at present is incurable. Cancer doctors can extend patients’ life expectancy through operations, radiation, chemotherapy or surgical interventions. Nevertheless, half of patients die within twelve months of diagnosis. Drugs that are effective against...
Exploring the antidepressant effects of oleacein, a rare compound found in olives
JUNE 25, 2024 by University of Tsukuba Summary of the evidence on potential neurogenesis-promoting and neuroinflammation-mitigating effects of oleacein. Credit: Cell Communication and Signaling (2024). DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01691-xResearchers are exploring natural compounds as potential alternatives to conventional antidepressants, which often yield inconsistent results. Compounds that activate the TrkB receptor are of particular interest, as this receptor...
Data provide new perspective for understanding the antidepressant-like effects of a diabetes drug
by Wiley Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public DomainResearch in animals has shown that the diabetes drug dulaglutide, which is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist may reduce symptoms of depression. A new study published in Brain and Behavior reveals the mechanisms that are likely involved. By conducting a range of tests in mice treated with and without dulaglutide,...
Placebo Effect—Not Antidepressants—Responsible for Depression Improvement
In adolescent depression treatment, those who received a placebo but thought they received Prozac improved more than those who received the drug and knew it. By Peter Simons In a study of fluoxetine (Prozac) for adolescents, researchers found that the placebo effect predicted good outcomes, but the actual drug treatment did not. After accounting for...
Some antidepressants take weeks to kick in, and scientists may now know why
by Cara Murez Most folks know that certain antidepressants have to be taken for a few weeks before people start seeing improvement, and now a new study sheds light on that delay. Scientists have discovered this is because of physical changes in the brain that unfold over those first few weeks of using selective serotonin...
Taking an antidepressant? Mixing it with other medicines—including some cold and flu treatments—can be dangerous
by Treasure McGuire, The Conversation Credit: Shutterstock In the depths of winter we are more at risk of succumbing to viral respiratory infections—from annoying sore throat, common cold and sinusitis, to the current resurgence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and COVID. Symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection range in severity. They can include fever, chills, muscle...
Antidepressant Medications Might Help Block COVID-19
Jay Croft June 23, 2023 Can common anti-depressants prevent COVID-19 infection? That’s the suggestion of research in BMC Medicine, based on infection trends among more than 5,600 mental health care patients in the United Kingdom from April to December 2020. The report says that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were particularly effective in blocking COVID-19 transmission....
B-Vitamin May Help Boost Antidepressant Efficacy
Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW June 02, 2023 The B vitamin, L-methylfolate (LMT) can be an effective adjunctive treatment for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) with an inadequate response to antidepressants, new research suggests. Investigators analyzed six studies and found support for adjunctive use of LMF with patients with MDD not responding to antidepressant monotherapy. Treatment...
A closer look at Matcha tea powder’s antidepressant-like effects
by Kumamoto University Credit: Kumamoto University Matcha, a traditional Japanese tea, has been touted for its health benefits—it can boost mood and mental performance in humans and mice alike—but more mechanistic research is required. Hence, researchers from Japan evaluated the anti-depressive effects of Matcha tea powder in mice. The powder activates dopaminergic neural circuits and...