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- Serotonin Neurons Critical for Mouse Postpartum Maternal Behavior, Pup Survival
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August 29, 2008
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Science Update
Mood disorders, including postpartum depression, have long been treated with antidepressants that enhance the mood-regulating brain chemical messenger serotonin. Now, NIMH-supported researchers have demonstrated in mice – for the first time – that critical postpartum mothering behaviors and offspring survival also depend on proper functioning of serotonin-secreting neurons.
- Depression Patients’ Brain Circuitry Makes Them Vulnerable to Relapse
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August 1, 2008
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Science Update
Using brain imaging, NIMH researchers have produced direct evidence that people prone to depression -- even when they’re feeling well -- have abnormal mood-regulating brain circuitry. This makes them vulnerable to relapse when levels of certain key brain chemical messengers plummet.
- Mechanism for Postpartum Depression Found in Mice
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July 30, 2008
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Press Release
Researchers have pinpointed a mechanism in the brains of mice that could explain why some human mothers become depressed following childbirth. The discovery could lead to improved treatment for postpartum depression. Supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health, of the National Institutes of Health, the study used genetically engineered mice lacking a protein critical for adapting to the sex hormone fluctuations of pregnancy and the postpartum period.
- Errant Stress/Immune Indicators Detected in Depression-Prone Women’s Sweat
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July 29, 2008
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Science Update
An experimental skin patch test detected abnormal levels of markers for immune function and stress in the sweat of women with histories of depression, NIMH researchers say. If confirmed, the non-invasive technique could become an easier alternative to a blood test for predicting risk for inflammatory disorders, such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes, which often occur with depression.
- Mice Expressing Human Genes Bred to Help Unravel Mental Disorders
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June 26, 2008
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Science Update
New mouse strains engineered to express human genes related to mental disorders are being developed under a recently-launched grant program from NIMH's Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science.
- Preventive Treatment May Help Head Off Depression Following a Stroke
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May 28, 2008
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Science Update
For the first time, researchers show that preventive treatment with an antidepressant medication or talk therapy can significantly reduce the risk or delay the start of depression following an acute stroke, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
- Medication-only Therapy and Combination Therapy Both Cost Effective for Treating Teens with Depression
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May 12, 2008
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Science Update
Treating depressed teenagers with either the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac) or a combination of fluoxetine and psychotherapy can be cost effective, according to a recent economic analysis.
- Studies Identify Subtle Genetic Changes’ Risk for Mental Disorders; May Lead to Targets for New, Better, Therapies
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May 5, 2008
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Science Update
Epigenetics ─ the examination of how environmental factors like diet, stress, and post-natal maternal behavior can change gene function without altering DNA sequence ─ plays a major role in depression and in the actions of antidepressant medications. New studies in the field are revealing new molecular targets for better therapies for depression, scientists say.
- Human Brain Appears “Hard-Wired” for Hierarchy
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April 23, 2008
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Press Release
Human imaging studies have for the first time identified brain circuitry associated with social status, according to researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health.
- Journal Highlights Effectiveness of Research Based Psychotherapies for Youth
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April 15, 2008
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Science Update
Reviews of the current research on psychosocial and behavioral therapies, or psychotherapies, for children and adolescents found a number of “well established” and “probably efficacious” treatments for many mental disorders. The results were published in a special issue of the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.
