Articles related to DEPRESSION

Study: This meta-analysis includes 232 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of drug monotherapy for major depressive disorder submitted to the FDA between 1979 and 2016, and comprises nearly 75,000 adult and child participants. Conclusion: Patients with depression are likely to improve substantially from acute treatment of their depression with drug or placebo. Although the mean effect of antidepressants is only a small improvement over placebo, the effect of active drug seems to increase the probability that any patient will benefit substantially from treatment by about 15%.

Kar-XT adds trospium to xanomeline to substantially improve the second agent’s tolerability, enabling its use to reduce both positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Allopregnanolone, an oral version of brexanolone, is being investigated in MDD. The dextromethorphan and bupropion combo, AXS-05, seeks to offer a new antidepressant option and hydroxynorketamine promises MDD treatment without ketamine’s dissociative effects and abuse potential.

Anxiety disorders are among the most common of psychiatric disorders, with estimates suggesting a lifetime prevalence in the US of approximately 32%. But development of new and effective treatments for anxiety disorders has lagged behind new treatments for other conditions such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. This article reviews current treatment and their effectiveness, and highlights the emerging new hopefuls.

The idea that depression is brought on by decreased serotonin activity or concentrations is unsupported, according to the authors of a systematic umbrella review, who also challenge the rationale behind the high rates of antidepressant prescription. They claim that certain medical professionals continue to promote the incorrect chemical imbalance explanation of depression, and the public as a whole still accepts it. However, other medical professionals argue that antidepressants continue to be a helpful treatment option for patients in addition to other methods like talking therapy and that the idea that depression is caused by a straightforward chemical imbalance is outdated in any case.

Using covariate analysis of records from more than 1.2 million children over 17 years, these researchers conclude that the elevated risk for neonatal seizures and childhood epilepsy in children who were exposed to SSRIs or SNRIs during pregnancy can be attributed to the indicated SSRI and SNRI use for pregnant women, history of parental epilepsy, and other covariates, rather than the use of the medication itself.

Selecting effective antidepressants for the treatment of major depressive disorder is an imprecise practice. With remission rates of about 30% after the initial therapy selection, there is a need to uncover biomarkers able to predict treatment response. This study looked at pharmacogenomic testing for drug-gene interactions to guide treatment selection. Unfortunately, they did not find significantly improved outcomes.