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☆ Brain Care Score may also predict depression, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Scientists announced in December the successful creation of the Brain Care Score, a tool for assessing dementia or stroke risk without medical procedures. That score, which also helps patients and doctors identify beneficial lifestyle changes, may now also be able to predict the odds of developing depression later in life, according to a new study. The 21-point Brain Care Score, or BCS, refers to how a person fares on 12 health-related factors regarding physical, lifestyle and social-emotional components of health. “The Brain Care Score is a simple tool designed to help anyone in the world answer the question, ‘What can I do to take better care of my brain?’” said study author Dr. Jonathan Rosand, cofounder of the McCance Center for Brain Health at Massachusetts General Hospital and lead developer of the BCS, in a news release. The higher a participant’s score, the lower their risk of brain disease.

Persons: ”, ’ ”, Jonathan Rosand, Richard Isaacson, Isaacson, “, we’ve, ” Isaacson, Sanjula Singh, that’s Organizations: CNN —, Psychiatry, McCance, Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, BCS, Harvard Medical School Locations: “, Massachusetts, Boston, United Kingdom, Florida

☆ Some antidepressants contribute to weight gain more than others, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Weight gain is also a reason why some stop their medications despite feeling less depressed or anxious while using them. Now, a new study sheds light on just how much weight gain might occur — on average — while taking eight of the most commonly prescribed antidepressants. Weight gain by poundsThe study, published Monday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, used electronic health record prescription and body mass to compare weight gain among more than 183,000 people. Not all patients perceive weight gain negatively, although it is more common for patients to want to avoid weight gain than to seek it when taking an antidepressant, Petimar said. “Our study didn’t explore reasons why bupropion was associated with less weight gain than other antidepressants, but other studies have similarly concluded that it is associated with less weight gain than other common antidepressants,” he added.

Persons: Joshua Petimar, paroxetine, Duloxetine, ” Petimar, ”, Roy Perlis, that's, Joe Raedle, —, Petimar, it’s, “, bupropion, they’d Organizations: CNN, paroxetine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Harvard Medical School, Internal, escitalopram, “, Massachusetts General Hospital Locations: Boston, Massachusetts, ” Perlis, Perlis

☆ 6 types of depression identified in Stanford study
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Some 30% to 40% of people with depression do not experience symptom improvement after trying one treatment, according to the study. And about 30% of people diagnosed with depression go on to experience treatment-resistant depression when the disorder doesn’t improve after multiple treatment attempts. Mapping depression in the brainThe authors used data from 801 adult participants who were previously diagnosed with depression or anxiety, and 137 healthy control group participants. The grant supports a five-year project involving 4,500 participants, which is centered on the development of a better diagnosis and treatment tool for depression biotypes. This method isn’t intended to replace or be the primary choice for assessments of individual cases of depression, Williams said.

Persons: biotypes, ”, Leanne Williams, Vincent V.C, Woo, Williams, Anhedonia, Jun Ma, Ma, Beth, George Vitoux, “, Richard Keefe, wasn’t, Keefe, Jonathan Alpert, Dorothy, Marty Silverman, Alpert, ” Keefe, you’re Organizations: Lifeline, CNN, Nature Medicine, Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Center, Precision Mental Health, Wellness, Medicine, University of Illinois, Duke University Medical Center, Montefiore Medical, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Psychiatric Association’s Council, Research, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes, Health’s, Mental Health Initiative Locations: California, United States, University of Illinois Chicago, North Carolina, New York City, Stanford

☆ The withdrawal risk of quitting antidepressants
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Roughly 15% of participants who discontinued antidepressants experienced withdrawal symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, nausea, insomnia and irritability, according to the review published Wednesday in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry. The review is the first publication of a larger project on antidepressant withdrawal symptoms, the authors said. The authors also discovered the medications most often linked with withdrawal symptoms were desvenlafaxine, venlafaxine, imipramine and escitalopram. The rate of withdrawal symptoms in pharma-funded studies was about the same as trials not funded by pharmaceutical companies. The study didn’t provide information on the duration of withdrawal symptoms, but other research suggests they can last for up to two weeks in most cases, Keedwell said.

Persons: ”, Jonathan Henssler, ” Henssler, Sameer Jauhar, Jauhar wasn’t, ” Jauhar, Christiaan Vinkers, weren’t, Tony Kendrick, “, ” Kendrick, Henssler, Jauhar, Oliver Howes, Howes wasn’t, Paul Keedwell, wasn’t, Keedwell, ” Keedwell Organizations: Lifeline, CNN, neurosciences, Charité — University Medicine, King’s College London, Pharmaceutical, pharma, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Southampton, Cleveland Clinic, Royal College of Psychiatrists Locations: United Kingdom, Berlin, England

☆ Exercise or medication: Which is best for depression?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

What the research showsWhich treatment option works best partly depends on personal perceptions or preferences, including a person’s motivation to exercise or concern about potential side effects of a medication, experts said. For people with severe depression, exercise alone typically isn’t enough. Some experts also wonder which exercise is best for patients who benefit most from such physical activity, Schuch said. While exercise and medication are both viable options, it’s important to note that “none will work for all patients,” Schuch said. If you’re thinking of trying to alleviate depression with fitness, know “the time it takes for someone to experience relief from depression through exercise can vary widely,” Choi said.

Persons: ”, Brenda Penninx, Karmel Choi, Choi wasn’t, ” Choi, Felipe Barreto Schuch, Schuch wasn’t, Schuch, Ben Singh, wasn’t, Parco Siu, ” Singh, “, ” Schuch Organizations: CNN, European College of, Disorders, Vrije University, Harvard Medical School, Federal University of Santa, University of South, University of Hong Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, Boston, Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil, University of South Australia, University of Hong Kong

☆ Princeton University student who went missing on campus died by suicide, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Princeton University student who went missing on campus and was found dead in October died by suicide, local prosecutors announced Wednesday. The cause of death of Misrach Ewunetie, 20, was “bupropion, escitalopram and hydroxyzine toxicity,” the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday, unveiling the autopsy results. Princeton University said in a statement Wednesday: "Our hearts go to Misrach’s family and friends, and to the wider campus community that has been shaken by this tragedy." Her brother, Universe Ewunetie, previously told NBC News their family is originally from Ethiopia and his sister grew up in Euclid, Ohio. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

☆ Mindfulness and medication work equally well to curb anxiety, a new study found
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A mindfulness meditation course may be as effective at reducing anxiety as a common medication, according to a new study. And starting meditation could also be a first step for people who have untreated anxiety and are wary of medication. Arpaia says that he has worked to find less time-intensive mindfulness methods to help patients manage their anxiety. How mindfulness worksThe patients assigned to the meditation group participated in a specific program called mindfulness-based stress reduction, first developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in the 1970s. Patients shouldn’t expect meditation – or medication – to completely eliminate their anxiety, according to Hoge.

The first study ever to directly compare medication to meditation for anxiety finds the two methods work equally well at reducing symptoms. Just one side effect, increased anxiety, was reported in the mindfulness group, by about 15% of the participants. It's unclear why so many meditation participants appeared to drop off, she said. The time commitment to mindfulness throughout the study, however, was important for people to learn the proper techniques, Hoge said. The thinking behind mindfulness, Hoge said, is that it can make the thoughts that fuel anxiety less powerful.

☆ Mindfulness meditation reduces anxiety as much as a common antidepressant drug, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mindfulness meditation is as effective at reducing anxiety as a commonly prescribed antidepressant, according to a study published in a major journal on Wednesday. The study, led by researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center, is the first randomized clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation with the antidepressant escitalopram. There were 102 patients in the mindfulness group and 106 in the antidepressant group. Dr. Elizabeth Hoge, lead author on the study, said the findings support physicians recommending mindfulness meditation as an alternative to antidepressants for some patients. Hoge, who is director of Georgetown University's Anxiety Disorders Research Program, said the study also provides evidence for insurers to cover mindfulness meditation as a treatment for anxiety.

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