Tag : Subtype

Stanford (California): Researchers at Stanford Medicine have described a novel subtype of depression known as the cognitive biotype, which affects 27 per cent of people with depression but is unresponsive to treatment with antidepressants that are frequently administered. These patients' cognitive abilities to plan ahead, exhibit self-control, maintain concentrate despite distractions, and suppress inappropriate behaviour were shown to be compromised by cognitive activities; imaging revealed decreased activity in two brain regions in charge of those functions. SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are antidepressants that target serotonin and are frequently prescribed by doctors since depression is typically thought of as a mood disease. However, these medications are less beneficial for individuals who have cognitive dysfunction. According to research, treating these cognitive dysfunctions with antidepressants that are less widely prescribed or other therapies may help with symptoms relief and the restoration of social and occupational capacities. Leanne Williams, PhD, the Vincent V.C. Woo Professor and professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences, is the senior author of the study, which was released on June 15 in JAMA Network Open. She claims that the study is a part of a larger endeavour by neuroscientists to discover treatments that target certain depression biotypes. "One of the big challenges is to find a new way to address what is currently a trial-and-error process so that more people can get better sooner," Williams said. "Bringing in these objective cognitive measures like imaging will make sure we're not using the same treatment on every patient." Finding the biotype In the study, 1,008 adults with previous ...