New Delhi: As a large number of people today deal with depression, it is essential to understand how lifestyle affects mental health, besides aspects that can be worked upon to help ease the struggle.Break the mundane pattern; introduce something new to your routineLack of motivation and fatigue are some of the early signs of depression. Routine can enhance the sense of doldrums, and hence, it is important to break it and try something new.Gratitude journalingGratitude journaling is different from journaling; herein, the only things that you write down are the ones you are thankful for.Re-write and re-wireIf there is a part in your life that you are unhappy with, re-write it! Change the narrative, and write down the story the way you would like it to be.Sleep!Sleep is more than just taking a physical rest. It works as an auto-clean of the mind and is hence crucial to every aspect of health, especially mental health. Researchers believe that it is best to sleep by 10 pm, midnight at max.Switch to a healthier diet incorporate anti-inflammatory foodsA diet deficient in B12 and omega 3 fatty acids cause increased inflammation in the parts of the brain responsible for mood.ExerciseAccording to the Journal of clinical psychiatry, exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function. It has also been found to alleviate symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal.Do not stop; one step at a time, is also progressSeeing the future or the bigger picture can feel overwhelming at times. So it is best to deal with what’s immediately in hand and then gradually over on to the other step. Every step of the journey counts!—ANI

 As a large number of people today deal with depression, it is essential to understand how lifestyle affects mental health, besides aspects that can be worked upon to help ease the struggle.

Lifestyle hacks to help ease depression

Washington: &nbsp;According to a new study at the Children's National Hospital, increased stress, anxiety, and depression in pregnant women altered key features of the fetal brain which subsequently cause a decline in cognitive development in offspring at 18 months of age. The findings of the research were published in the journal 'JAMA Network'. Researchers followed a cohort of 97 pregnant women and their babies. The changes also increased internalization and dysregulation behaviour. The findings further suggest that persistent psychological distress after the baby is born may influence the parent-child interaction and infant self-regulation. This is the first study to shed light on an important link between altered in-utero fetal brain development and the long-term cognitive development consequences for fetuses exposed to high levels of toxic stress during pregnancy.While in the womb, the researchers observed changes in the sulcal depth and left hippocampal volume, which could explain the neurodevelopment issues seen after birth. Once they grow into toddlers, these children may experience persistent social-emotional problems and have difficulty establishing positive relationships with others, including their mothers. To further confirm this, future studies with a larger sample size that reflect more regions and populations are needed. "By identifying the pregnant women with elevated levels of psychological distress, clinicians could recognize those babies who are at risk for later neurodevelopmental impairment and might benefit from early, targeted interventions," said Catherine Limperopoulos, PhD, chief and director of the Developing Brain Institute at Children's National and senior author of the study. Regardless of their socioeconomic status, about one of every four pregnant women suffers from stress-related symptoms, the most common pregnancy complication.The relationship between altered fetal brain development, prenatal maternal psychological distress and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes remain unknown. Studying in utero fetal brain development poses challenges due to fetal and maternal movements, imaging technology, signal-to-noise ratio issues and changes in brain growth.All pregnant participants were healthy, most had some level of education and were employed. To quantify prenatal maternal stress, anxiety and depression, the researchers used validated self-reported questionnaires. Fetal brain volumes and cortical folding were measured from three-dimensional reconstructed images derived from MRI scans. Fetal brain creatine and choline were quantified using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The 18-month child's neurodevelopment was measured using validated scales and assessments. This study builds upon previous work from the Developing Brain Institute led by Limperopoulos, which discovered that anxiety in pregnant women appears to affect the brain development of their babies. Her team also found that maternal mental health, even for women with high socioeconomic status, alters the structure and biochemistry of the developing fetal brain. The growing evidence underscores the importance of mental health support for pregnant women."We're looking at shifting the health care paradigm and adopting these changes more broadly to better support moms," said Limperopoulos. "What's clear is early interventions could help moms reduce their stress, which can positively impact their symptoms and thereby their baby long after birth."—ANI

According to a new study at the Children's National Hospital, increased stress, anxiety, and depression in pregnant women altered key features of the fetal brain which subsequently cause a decline in cognitive development in offspring at 18 months of age.

Stress & depression during pregnancy can hinder cognitive development

Washington: Despite the fact that there are treatments for depression, many people find these treatments to be ineffective at times. In addition, women are more likely than males to have depression, but the cause for this difference is unknown. This makes treating their disorders more challenging at times.The findings of the study were published this month in the journal Biological Psychiatry.University of California, Davis, researchers teamed up with scientists from Mt. Sinai Hospital, Princeton University, and Laval University, Quebec, to try to understand how a specific part of the brain, the nucleus accumbens, is affected during the depression. The nucleus accumbens is important for motivation, response to rewarding experiences and social interactions -- all of which are affected by depression.Previous analyses within the nucleus accumbens showed that different genes were turned on or off in women, but not in men diagnosed with depression. These changes could have caused symptoms of depression, or alternatively, the experience of being depressed could have changed the brain. To differentiate between these possibilities, the researchers studied mice that had experienced negative social interactions, which induce stronger depression-related behavior in females than males."These high-throughput analyses are very informative for understanding long-lasting effects of stress on the brain. In our rodent model, negative social interactions changed gene expression patterns in female mice that mirrored patterns observed in women with depression," said Alexia Williams, a doctoral researcher and recent UC Davis graduate who designed and led these studies. "This is exciting because women are understudied in this field, and this finding allowed me to focus my attention on the relevance of these data for women's health."The study "Comparative transcriptional analyses in the nucleus accumbens identifies RGS2 as a key mediator of depression-related behaviour."After identifying similar molecular changes in the brains of mice and humans, researchers chose one gene, regulator of g protein signaling-2, or Rgs2, to manipulate. This gene controls the expression of a protein that regulates neurotransmitter receptors that are targeted by antidepressant medications such as Prozac and Zoloft. "In humans, less stable versions of the Rgs2 protein are associated with increased risk of depression, so we were curious to see whether increasing Rgs2 in the nucleus accumbens could reduce depression-related behaviors," said Brian Trainor, UC Davis professor of psychology and senior author on the study. He is also an affiliated faculty member with the Center for Neuroscience and directs the Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Lab at UC Davis.When the researchers experimentally increased Rgs2 protein in the nucleus accumbens of the mice, they effectively reversed the effects of stress on these female mice, noting that social approach and preferences for preferred foods increased to levels observed in females that did not experience any stress."These results highlight a molecular mechanism contributing to the lack of motivation often observed in depressed patients. Reduced function of proteins like Rgs2 may contribute to symptoms that are difficult to treat in those struggling with mental illnesses," Williams said.Findings from basic science studies such as this one may guide the development of pharmacotherapies to effectively treat individuals suffering from depression, the researchers said. "Our hope is that by doing studies such as these, which focus on elucidating mechanisms of specific symptoms of complex mental illnesses, we will bring science one step closer to developing new treatments for those in need," said Williams.&nbsp;—ANI

Despite the fact that there are treatments for depression, many people find these treatments to be ineffective at times. In addition, women are more likely than males to have depression, but the cause for this difference is unknown. This makes treating their disorders more challenging at times.

Researchers Suggest That Women Experience Higher Rates Of Depression Than Men In Recent Study

Okinawa (Japan): The Tob gene, which was initially discovered in Prof. Tadashi Yamamoto's old group in Japan in 1996, is well known for its connection to cancer. Previous studies have shown that it also plays a role in controlling the cell cycle and the immunological response of the body. Now, scientists from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) have discovered that this gene also has a significant role in lowering depression, fear, and anxiety in a multidisciplinary study that blends molecular biology with neuroscience. The Translational Psychiatry journal published their research.
Lead author Dr Mohieldin Youssef, a former PhD candidate in Prof. Yamamoto's Cell Signal Unit at OIST, stated that the study focused on understanding stress resilience. The gene contributes to stress resilience when it is present, while depression, fear, and anxiety rise when it is not. The Japanese verb "tobu," which means to soar or jump, inspired the name "Tob." This is due to the cell's protein levels becoming more active when exposed to a stimulus. According to Dr Youssef, because the gene responds so quickly, it has been classified as an immediate-early gene.
The Tob gene is linked to a variety of events, but studying the brain system is extremely difficult, according to Prof. Yamamoto. Although it had been hypothesised before, this study is the first to prove that Tob protects the brain from stress.
Multiple tests led them to the conclusion that this gene is associated with anxiety, fear, and sadness. First, the scientists placed mice under stress, and as predicted, the levels of Tob protein rose. When they employed mice that were born lacking the Tob gene, they discovered an increase in depressive, phobic, and anxious behaviour. For instance, if a mouse carrying the Tob gene were dropped into a pail of water, the mouse would swim and attempt to get out. A mouse lacking the Tob gene, however, simply floated. One way researchers can tell if an animal is depressed is if it lacks the motivation to confront a challenging circumstance. Additionally, the mice lacking the Tob gene appeared incapable of learning. Dr Youssef added that when mice are left in an environment that triggers fear memories on a daily basis, they typically come to realise that it isn't all that horrible and cease being scared. But even after several days, those lacking the Tob gene continued to exhibit elevated levels of fear manifested as frozen.
The scientists then collaborated with Dr Hiroaki Hamada from the Neural Computational Unit, a former PhD student of OIST. An MRI revealed that when the Tob gene was deleted, the connectivity between the hippocampus and the pre-frontal cortex--two critical regions controlling the brain's resilience to stress--was changed. The scientists then made the decision to focus on the gene's precise function within the hippocampus.
Injecting the Tob gene into the hippocampus of mice lacking the Tob gene while leaving it dormant in other bodily regions. The mice's despair and terror levels returned to normal, but their anxiety levels remained elevated. The scientists then performed the exact opposite, breeding a mouse that lacked the Tob gene in the hippocampus but had it in the rest of its body. They discovered that the mice in this instance exhibited normal levels of anxiety but higher degrees of dread and despair.
Dr. Youssef said, "We've shown that the Tob gene in the hippocampus inhibits fear and depression. But another area of the brain must control the suppression of anxiety.
The performance of the neurons in the hippocampus of the mice lacking the Tob gene was then evaluated by researchers from OIST's old Brain Mechanisms for Behavior Unit. They discovered that while inhibition was reduced, excitement was raised, indicating that the overall balance had changed, which would have an effect on the mice's behaviour.
Finally, after subjecting the mice to stress, the researchers performed genetic studies. It's interesting that they discovered that stress didn't immediately alter facial expressions. However, there were alterations 15 minutes after the mice were stressed. If the Tob gene was deleted, it had an effect on other genes and proteins. This shows that the Tob gene probably has several direct and indirect effects.
Finding out how the Tob gene affects fear, despair, and anxiety could have a significant impact on the creation of treatments for mental stress, according to Dr Youssef. —ANI

The Tob gene, which was initially discovered in Prof. Tadashi Yamamoto's old group in Japan in 1996, is well known for its connection to cancer. Previous studies have shown that it also plays a role in controlling the cell cycle and the immunological response of the body. 

Jumping Gene Found To Be Strongly Linked To Depression, Fear, Anxiety: Study

Washington: Managing one's mental health has been a higher priority in recent years, with an increased emphasis on self-care. Every year, more than 300 million people worldwide suffer from depression. Recognizing this, there is a lot of interest in using popular wearable gadgets to monitor a person's mental health by tracking markers like activity level, sleep, and heart rate.
A team of researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and at the University of Illinois Chicago used data from wearable devices to predict outcomes of treatment for depression on individuals who took part in a randomized clinical trial. They developed a novel machine learning model that analyzes data from two sets of patients -- those randomly selected to receive treatment and those who did not receive treatment -- instead of developing a separate model for each group. This unified multitask model is a step toward personalized medicine, in which physicians design a treatment plan specific to each patient's needs and predict outcome based on an individual's data. Findings of the research were published in the Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Model, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies and will be presented at the UbiComp 2022 conference in September.
Chenyang Lu, the Fullgraf Professor at the McKelvey School of Engineering, led a team including Ruixuan Dai, who worked in Lu's lab as a doctoral student and is now a software engineer at Google; Thomas Kannampallil, associate professor of anesthesiology and associate chief research information officer at the School of Medicine and associate professor of computer science and engineering at McKelvey Engineering; and Jun Ma, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC); and colleagues to develop the model using data from a randomized clinical trial conducted by UIC with about 100 adults with depression and obesity.
"Integrated behavioral therapy can be expensive and time consuming," Lu said. "If we can make personalized predictions for individuals on whether it is likely a patient would be responsive to a particular treatment, then patients may continue with treatment only if the model predicts their conditions are likely to improve with treatment but less likely without treatment. Such personalized predictions of treatment response will facilitate more targeted and cost-effective therapy."
In the trial, patients were given Fitbit wristbands and psychological testing. About two-thirds of the patients received behavioral therapy, and the remaining patients did not. Patients in both groups were statistically similar at baseline, which gave the researchers a level playing field from which to discern whether treatment would lead to improved outcomes based on individual data.
Clinical trials of behavioral therapies often involved relatively small cohorts due to the cost and duration of such interventions. The small number of patients created a challenge for a machine learning model, which typically performs better with more data. However, by combining the data of the two groups, the model could learn from a larger dataset, which captured the differences in those who had undergone treatment and those who had not. They found that their multitask model predicted depression outcomes better than a model looking at each of the groups separately.
"We pioneered a multitask framework, which combines the intervention group and the control group in a randomized control trial to jointly train a unified model to predict the personalized outcomes of an individual with and without treatment," said Dai, who earned a doctorate in computer science in 2022. "The model integrated the clinical characteristics and wearable data in a multilayer architecture. This approach avoids splitting the study cohorts into smaller groups for machine learning models and enables a dynamical knowledge transfer between the groups to optimize prediction performance for both with and without intervention."
"The implications of this data-driven approach extend beyond randomized clinical trials to implementation in clinical care delivery, where the ability to make personalized prediction of patient outcomes depending on the treatment received, and to do so early and along the treatment course, could meaningfully inform shared-decision making by the patient and the treating physician in order to tailor the treatment plan for that patient," Ma said. The machine learning approach provides a promising tool to build personalized predictive models based on data collected from randomized controlled trials. Going forward, the team plans to leverage the machine learning approach in a new randomized controlled trial of telehealth behavioral interventions using Fitbit wristbands and weight scales among patients in a weight loss intervention study. —ANI

 Managing one's mental health has been a higher priority in recent years, with an increased emphasis on self-care. Every year, more than 300 million people worldwide suffer from depression. Recognizing this, there is a lot of interest in using popular wearable gadgets to monitor a person's mental health by tracking markers like activity level, sleep, and heart rate.

Researchers Find Wearable Devices Predict Outcomes For Depression Treatment

Washington: Teenagers become more exploratory in their behaviours with age, becoming increasingly likely to visit new places over time, finds a new study. Its results also show that greater exploration is associated with enhanced psychological well-being and larger social networks.
Notably, the researchers also discovered that adolescents who explored their natural environments more also reported a greater number of risky behaviors.
"While adolescent risk taking is typically seen as a problematic behavior, we found that heightened exploration was also linked to greater social connectivity and emotional well-being," says Catherine Hartley, an associate professor in New York University's Department of Psychology and the senior author of the study, which appears in the journal Psychological Science. "This suggests that risk taking may have an adaptive function during adolescence."
Previously, Hartley and the University of Miami's Aaron Heller reported that new and diverse experiences are linked to enhanced happiness and that this relationship is associated with greater correlation of brain activity. Those findings, which appeared in the journal Nature Neuroscience, showed a connection between our daily physical environments and our sense of well-being.
In the new Psychological Science work, Hartley, Heller, and UCLA doctoral student Natalie Saragosa-Harris sought to better understand teens' and young adults' exploration of their environments, how it relates to behaviors we tend to see as "risky," and what the psychological significance of these behaviors might be.
Earlier studies have suggested that, compared to children and older adults, adolescents and young adults tend to engage in more exploratory and novelty-seeking behaviors -- whether it's trying out new hobbies, sampling new friend groups, or visiting new places.
However, most studies of adolescent exploratory behaviors have relied on self-report or behavior in controlled laboratory environments, leaving open the question as to whether heightened adolescent exploration is evident in the real world -- when participants are in natural daily settings.
To better capture these phenomena, the scientists measured the everyday lives of 58 teenagers and adults (ages 13 to 27) in New York City, using GPS tracking to measure how often participants visited novel locations over the course of three months. From these measurements, they were able to capture daily exploration based on movement. Based on these GPS data and self-report, the researchers found several notable patterns:
There was an association between daily exploration and age, with individuals near the transition to legal adulthood (18- to 21-year-olds) exhibiting the highest exploration levels.
Regardless of age, people reported better moods on days when they explored more, supporting the notion that exploration is linked to psychological well-being.
People who had higher average levels of exploration also reported larger social networks -- measured by the number of unique individuals the subjects interacted with via phone calls and direct-messaging platforms.
Adolescents who explored their natural environments more also reported a greater number of risky behaviors (e.g., gambling, heavy drinking, illicit drug use, etc.) -- an association not evident in adults.
"These findings point to an important role for exploration in sustaining adolescent well-being and establishing social connectivity," observes Hartley. "And while risky behaviors undoubtedly pose challenges, a healthy amount of exploration is important, particularly as individuals become adults, gain independence, and form their identities." —ANI

Teenagers become more exploratory in their behaviors with age, becoming increasingly likely to visit new places over time, finds a new study. Its results also show that greater exploration is associated with enhanced psychological well-being and larger social networks.

Teens With Diabetes Should Be Screened For Depression With Greater Caution: Study

Teenagers become more exploratory in their behaviours with age, becoming increasingly likely to visit new places over time, finds a new study. Its results also show that greater exploration is associated with enhanced psychological well-being and larger social networks.

Washington: Communication among cells is altered in pregnant women who go on to develop postpartum depression (PPD) after giving birth, suggests researchers of a federally-funded study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine.
The findings of the study were published in Molecular Psychiatry.
Changes in extracellular RNA communication, a recently discovered cell signalling method, have already been linked to premature births, gestational diabetes, toxic maternal high blood pressure and other pregnancy-related events. Leaders of the new study examined maternal blood and sought to determine if there were distinct changes in this extracellular communications system during PPD.
The extracellular RNA communication changes identified in the study suggest that women who develop PPD are unable to efficiently remove ageing and defective cell components. This process, called autophagy, is also known to malfunction in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
"Potentially, postpartum depression could be treated using certain Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease medications that induce autophagy," says Sarven Sabunciyan, PhD, an assistant professor of paediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the paper's senior author. One in nine new mothers has postpartum depression, a condition marked by periods of sadness, loneliness and inability to care for their newborns that last longer than two weeks. "With postpartum depression, there are many potential negative outcomes, such as a high rate of suicide among mothers or a disruption in the baby's cognitive, emotional and social development," says Sabunciyan. "If we could identify mothers who may be more at risk ahead of the birth, we might prevent these adverse events."
Efforts have been underway for decades to identify genetic or other biological markers for PPD.
In the new study, the research team specifically investigated the messenger RNA (mRNA) content of extracellular vesicles (EVs) -- fatty sacs of genetic material that is essential to communication among cells. During pregnancy, Sabunciyan says, this communication system ramps up to address needs for embryo implantation and growth. A mother's placenta also releases RNA vital for immune system development that protects the growing fetus from viruses. Sabunciyan, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins Children's Center whose work focuses on the root causes of psychiatric disorders, says the research team collected blood samples from 42 women who were pregnant and were seen at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Newly developed sequencing and computational analysis methods were used to measure the level of thousands of different mRNAs that are packaged into EVs in the blood of 14 participants during the second and third trimester of pregnancy and up to six months after giving birth. Seven of the participants were diagnosed with postpartum depression after childbirth, receiving a score of 13 or above on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (a standard tool to identify women with the condition). None of these women had signs of depression during pregnancy. The mRNA levels identified to change the most robustly in participants who had PPD using this analysis were then measured in the blood of an additional 28 women during pregnancy.
Fourteen of these women were diagnosed with PPD and five of them exhibited signs of depression during pregnancy. The changes in mRNA levels identified in those who developed PPD in the first set of 14 participants, were replicated in the second group of 28 women, confirming the validity of the sequencing findings. Of the 42 women in the study, 34 were white, four were Asian or Pacific Islander, two were Black and two identified as another race. All were in their late 20s or early 30s and had live births.
The research team says this analysis revealed that extracellular RNA communication levels during pregnancy and the postpartum period were "extensively altered" in women who developed postpartum depression.
The researchers found that the level of 2,449 mRNAs changed (1,010 increased and 1,439 decreased) between those who went on to develop PPD compared with those who did not. On average, there was nearly a twofold difference in individual mRNA levels between the two groups. The vast majority of these changes occurred during the pregnancy instead of the postpartum period.
The researchers also discovered that EV mRNA levels associated with autophagy were decreased in women who later developed PPD -- meaning the cells were not cleaning out excessive, damaged or defective parts. In addition, they found that EV mRNAs associated with PPD originated from white blood cells known as monocytes and macrophages.
The researchers caution that their study was limited by small numbers and a lack of racial diversity. But they say if further studies confirm the findings, they could potentially develop a blood test that can identify women who are pregnant who are at risk for developing PPD after delivery. The research may also advance the development of therapies for PPD.
"If we can identify those at risk early, and get them into proper treatment, we're likely to be able to prevent a lot of serious effects of postpartum depression," Sabunciyan says. —ANI

Communication among cells is altered in pregnant women who go on to develop postpartum depression (PPD) after giving birth, suggests researchers of a federally-funded study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Researchers Advance Biological Markers Predicting Postpartum Depression Risk

Cambridge: According to recent research, autistic people are more susceptible to depression and anxiety during pregnancy.
The research led by researchers from University of Cambridge and the findings which were published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, have significant implications for helping pregnant people with autism.
In the study, led by researchers at the Autism Research Centre, 524 non-autistic people and 417 autistic people completed an online survey about their experience of pregnancy. Anyone who was pregnant at the time of responding or had previously given birth was eligible to take part.
The study revealed that autistic parents were around three times more likely than non-autistic parents to report having experienced prenatal depression (9 per cent of non-autistic parents and 24 per cent of autistic parents) and anxiety (14 per cent of non-autistic parents and 48 per cent of autistic parents). Autistic respondents also experienced lower satisfaction with pregnancy healthcare. Autistic respondents were less likely to trust professionals, feel that professionals took their questions and concerns seriously, feel that professionals treated them respectfully, and be satisfied with how information was presented to them in appointments. Furthermore, autistic respondents were more likely to experience sensory issues during pregnancy and more likely to feel overwhelmed by the sensory environment of prenatal appointments.
Dr Sarah Hampton, lead researcher on the study, said: "This study suggests that autistic people are more vulnerable to mental health difficulties during pregnancy. It is imperative that effective mental health screening and support is available for autistic people during pregnancy."
Dr Rosie Holt, a member of the research team, added: "The results also suggest that autistic people may benefit from accommodations to prenatal healthcare. These may include adjustments to the sensory environment of healthcare settings, as well as adjustments to how information is communicated during prenatal appointments." Dr Carrie Allison, Deputy Director of the Autism Research Centre and a member of the team, said: "We are grateful to members of the autistic community for providing feedback when we designed this research. It is vital that autistic people with lived experience help shape the research we do, and we keep their priorities as a clear focus." —ANI

According to recent research, autistic people are more susceptible to depression and anxiety during pregnancy.

Study Finds Autistic People Are More Vulnerable To Depression, Anxiety During Pregnancy

Washington: A recent study published in the prestigious American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that depression is linked to lower chances of having children in both men and women.
Drawing on the unique Finnish register data, this study with over 1.4 million participants examined the associations between diagnosed depression and the likelihood of having children, the number of children, and the age at first birth for all men and women born in Finland between 1960 and 1980.
"One of the main results was that depression was associated with a lower likelihood of having children and a lower number of children among men and women. Depression was also linked to a slightly lower age at first birth", says principal investigator Kateryna Golovina from the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies.
Men with even mild depression have a lower likelihood of having children.
Men diagnosed with depression had 33% lower odds of having a child compared to men without depression; women diagnosed with depression had 15% lower odds of having a child than women without depression.
An important observation was that the severity of depression was associated with a likelihood of having children: for men, even mild depression was related to a lower likelihood of having children, whereas for women the link was found only for severe depression.
Socioeconomic differences in the association between depression and the likelihood of having children.
The study further examined whether there were any educational differences in the association between depression and the likelihood of having children.
"Among men and women with secondary and higher education, depression was related to a lower likelihood of having children and having fewer children. As for the participants with basic education, no associations were observed for men, whereas for women depression was related to a higher likelihood of having children" says Kateryna Golovina.
Early prevention and on-time treatment of depression are crucial
The findings have clinical implications, suggesting that depression is one of the factors contributing to the likelihood of having children, which is why early prevention and on-time treatment of depression are crucial. For example, timely screening for depression can be implemented by increasing the availability of mental health professionals or it can be done by obstetrician-gynaecologists and women's health providers. For men, the severity of depression should be considered, given that already milder depression may have more negative health and behavioral effects than women.
"Overall, our results give another motivation to provide accessible mental health services to young people and implement low-threshold interventions and therapies", states Professor Marko Elovainio from the Faculty of Medicine.
The study was conducted in collaboration between the University of Helsinki and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. The Helsinki Collegium provided funding for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki, and the Academy of Finland. —ANI

A recent study published in the prestigious American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that depression is linked to lower chances of having children in both men and women.

People Suffering From Depression Are Less Likely To Have Children: Study

Washington: A study found that patients with brain or spine cancer who are unemployed may experience more intense pain, discomfort, concern, and depressive symptoms than those with the same conditions who are employed.
The study was published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
"The financial consequences of receiving a cancer diagnosis can be great and affect a person's ability to keep their job and access health insurance," said study author Heather Leeper, MD, MS, of the University of Chicago, a member of the American Academy of Neurology and previously of the National Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Research in Bethesda, Maryland, where the study was conducted.
"This is especially true for people of working age who may have fewer financial resources than older adults who are retired and qualify for Medicare. Our research found that being unemployed due to brain and spine cancer is strongly linked with more symptoms, more difficulty being able to perform daily tasks, reduced quality of life, as well as psychological distress, which may affect a person's ability to return to work," he said.
The study involved 277 people with primary central nervous system tumors, which are caused when abnormal cells form in the tissues of the brain or spinal cord. Participants had an average age of 45.
The 200 people who were employed either full-time, part-time, or self-employed were compared to 77 people who were unemployed.
Participants were given assessments of their symptoms and how they affected their daily lives.
One assessment measured the impact of illness or treatment on physical, mental, social, and emotional functioning within a person's overall quality of life. Questions included items like whether they have issues walking, dressing themselves, and performing usual activities, as well as what level of pain or discomfort and anxiety or depression they experience.
Researchers found 25% of unemployed people reported moderate-to-severe depression symptoms compared to 8% of employed people. For anxiety, 30% of those unemployed reported moderate-to-severe anxiety symptoms compared to 15 percent of those employed.
In rating pain or discomfort, 13 per cent of unemployed people reported the highest level of pain or discomfort compared to 4 per cent of employed.
Those who were unemployed reported more problems with performing daily activities such as walking, washing, dressing and a reduced quality of life.
Researchers found that Hispanic people were more than twice as likely to be unemployed than others.
When looking specifically at people with brain tumors, unemployed people reported on average three more symptoms as moderate-to-severe than employed people did.
Researchers also found that people who had an annual household income of less than USD 25,000 were more likely to be unemployed than employed. Conversely, they found participants with brain tumors who had an annual household income of more than USD 1,50,000 were more likely to be employed than unemployed.
"Unemployment including a lack of health insurance and reduced earnings can lead to even more physical and psychological problems for people living with these brain and spine cancers," Leeper added. "It is important that people be screened for these financial issues that can affect their cancer journey and that programs be developed to help minimize their impacts such as creating return-to-work programs or other forms of financial assistance."
The study was a snapshot in time and did not look at changes over time in symptoms or employment. Another limitation of the study was that participants reported their symptoms and may not have remembered events correctly.
The study analyzed data collected as part of the Neuro-Oncology Branch Natural History study, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute.
Learn more about brain tumors at BrainandLife.org, home of the American Academy of Neurology's free patient and caregiver magazine focused on the intersection of neurologic disease and brain health. Follow Brain &amp; Life® on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
When posting to social media channels about this research, we encourage you to use the hashtags #Neurology and #AANscience.
The American Academy of Neurology is the world's largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, with over 38,000 members. The AAN is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, concussion, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. —ANI

A study found that patients with brain or spine cancer who are unemployed may experience more intense pain, discomfort, concern, and depressive symptoms than those with the same conditions who are employed.

Unemployed Brain Or Spine Cancer Patients Experience More Pain, Depression: Study

Washington: Investigators at Cedars-Sinai have found that women who developed mood and anxiety disorders associated with pregnancy and childbirth had specific altered proteins circulating in their bloodstream in the third trimester.
The study is published in the American Journal of Obstetrics &amp; Gynecology. "In this pilot study, we found that participants with perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD) symptoms had a unique and distinct prenatal plasma protein signature that regulated certain brain signalling activity and pro-inflammatory pathways," said Eynav Accortt, PhD, director of the Reproductive Psychology Program at Cedars-Sinai and corresponding author of the study. The controlled pilot study included 34 women at risk for developing PMAD and 18 controls. Mental health screening was conducted in the third trimester and again three months after giving birth. Investigators used a highly sensitive tool called slow off-rate modified aptamers (SOMA) scan technology to detect plasma biomarkers correlated with specific disorders, such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 8, women experience significant symptoms of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders that can interfere with overall health, daily activities and family life. "The critical first step in the prevention of any disease is knowing if you are at risk. The process of discovering a diagnostic test for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, through biomarker research like this, is our holy grail," said Accortt, a clinical psychologist. "It can be incredibly challenging for a woman who is distressed to identify her need for intervention. Family members and friends can look for red flags but may not know how to help. If we had an early blood test, like the test all women take for gestational diabetes, she and her family would know that she is at higher risk and begin to get the education and consider treatment options much earlier," said Accortt.
A previous study led by Accortt found that women with prolonged mental health problems up to three years after childbirth may be suffering from chronic irregularities in their immune systems.
Larger validation studies are needed to determine whether biomarkers identified in this pilot study can be used with traditional risk factors--such as a previous history of depression or medical complications during pregnancy or childbirth--to develop protocols for early detection.
The financial and societal costs for untreated maternal mental illness are enormous. One study published in the American Journal of Public Health estimated the national cost in 2017 to be $14 billion. "In addition to the financial costs of mood disorders associated with pregnancy and childbirth, including reduced economic productivity and more preterm births, children and the family structure can be deeply affected. We need research-based diagnostics developed so we can help women find a pathway to wellness and be able to emerge out of the shadow of debilitating mood disorders that harm their health and the health of their families," said Sarah Kilpatrick, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai and study co-author. —ANI

Investigators at Cedars-Sinai have found that women who developed mood and anxiety disorders associated with pregnancy and childbirth had specific altered proteins circulating in their bloodstream in the third trimester.

Protein Biomarkers Found In Women With Perinatal Depression, Anxiety: Study

Mumbai News: Actress Riya Sharma, who is currently seen playing the character of 17th century princess Tarapriya in the show 'Dhruv Tara', has shared that she went through a no-work phase which took a toll on her health due to her habit of overthinking about her future.

Riya said: "Every actor goes through a 'non-working' phase which is in-between projects and it's a period of anxiety. I went through this time when my show 'Pinjara Khubsurti Ka' wrapped up. I had no work to do at that time, and for an actor, who works for 11-12 hours a day, it's difficult to pass through this phase."

"I am a workaholic, so the main challenge for me was the wait between the two projects. Sitting at home feels good for one day, it feels good for two days, but when you are sitting for months, it doesn't feel good," she added.

Riya made her acting debut in 2018 with 'Saat Phero Ki Hera Pherie' and later she worked in 'Pinjara Khubsurti Ka', 'Kashibai Bajirao Ballal', 'Banni Chow Home Delivery', among others.

She further shared how sitting at home took a toll on her health and says: "I have a habit of overthinking about things and it increased when I was sitting idle at home. I was not just low, I had anxiety attacks while waiting for the right project to come my way. I slowly slipped into depression due to overthinking. However, with courage and positivity, I started giving auditions and after four months, I was offered the show 'Kashibai Bajirao Ballal'."

Saying that ups and downs are a part of everyone's life, Riya concluded: "I have seen both the phases which have made me realise the importance of work and patience. Post that, I started working on reducing my habit of overthinking about things. Currently, I am happy shooting for my show 'Dhruv Tara' and I have creative satisfaction while portraying Tara in the show." IANS

Riya Sharma recalls her phase of no work and slipping into depression

It is an incident of some time ago. When a child returned to his coaching after a long time, his teacher expressed concern and asked, 'Because of Kovid, you remained alone for so many days. It must have felt very bad and bored! Then that child said that 'No, I was very happy... I had all my 'gadgets' with me. I used to have a great time without friends. I don't even feel the need for friends It happened.' Probably any sensitive person would be surprised to hear such an answer from the child. The use of technology has interfered in our lives to such an extent that now humans do not need other humans much.&nbsp;
The need to sit together and gossip is disappearing. From shopping to meeting is also happening through video call After the complete ban to prevent the epidemic, now the situation is that from shopping for household items to meeting people, it is also done through video calls of smartphones. The limit is that all the members of the same house They don't talk much to each other. They are engrossed in their mobile phones even while sitting together. Instead of knowing or understanding the mind of a member of the household, they have started giving more priority to talking to someone thousands of kilometers away on social media. The irony is that it is affecting children the most. They know how to operate technology, but they absolutely cannot control relationships and emotions. Psychologists say that such children, who are becoming completely socially cut off, are more likely to face a bad situation. But go into depression.&nbsp;
They resort to drugs etc. or sometimes even commit suicide. Many times children want someone to listen to them, counsel them, but parents get busy in their phone or internet world after work. Immobility has come in the life of children Actually, there has been a lot of immobility in the lives of children. They don't go out to play. Education was also online during the pandemic. Even after studying, they play different games or watch videos on the phone itself. now people somewhere real Even when we go casually, we are not completely on the spot under the pressure of making a 'reel' or sharing photos. An acquaintance's daughter is so tech savvy that she has built several apps, she is a master at coding. But when her love affair broke, she went into deep depression. He didn't know whom to talk to about this. His parents were busy on their phones. Even if she tries to say or tell something, her words do not get importance. It was only when she fell seriously ill that they realized what a mistake they had made.Were staying Among the studies that have come out about increasing loneliness in people, the main thing is that loneliness weakens our immunity. Being a victim of heart attack, diabetes, dementia etc. is becoming common.&nbsp;
Research conducted at the University of Arizona in the US has revealed that over-reliance on technology, especially smartphones, has changed the way we behave. This is the biggest reason for increasing depression among the youth. This proved to be very harmful for them emotionally as well as physically.It's happening Too much dependence on smartphones has also made him suffer from 'FOMO'. 'FOMO' is such a situation, when a person does not have a mobile, he will feel a fear of separation from the world. It would seem that a lot is happening and he is not able to be a part of it. This is the fear that people keep scrolling unnecessarily or running fingers on it every time they have the phone in hand.&nbsp;
This imaginary fear has started isolating people from the real world. Now every person also has an 'e-identity', which he can carry at all times.wants to increase more. How many friends and followers one has on social media has also become a status symbol. That's why there is a competition to make our 'e-personality' bigger by giving more and more time to social media. While according to a research by Oxford University, out of about 150 social media friends, only four people are hardly able to meet when there is a real need. It is true that technology helped people a lot during the lockdown. People were connected to the world through phones and internet. but Increasing dependence on technology is a dangerous sign. Technology can never be a substitute for humans. When we are faced with a real problem or emotionally disturbed, we need a real human being to help us.&nbsp;

It is an incident of some time ago. When a child returned to his coaching after a long time, his teacher expressed concern and asked, 'Because of Kovid

In the era of mobiles, humans no longer need humans, but they are suffering from depression in times of trouble

London: The use of anabolic steroids can cause serious side effects, including heart failure and depression, for years after the end of your use, a new study showed on Saturday.

According to the studies presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Istanbul, anabolic steroids (synthetic hormones that mimic the naturally-occurring sex hormone testosterone), are used to increase muscle mass and boost athletic performance.

These performance-enhancing drugs have negative side effects, such as breast growth, hair loss, decreased testosterone levels, erectile dysfunction, and an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and liver or kidney failure in men.

In the first study, the researchers examined 64 healthy men, between the ages of 18 and 50, who did recreational strength training in Denmark.

Of these men, 28 were using anabolic steroids, 22 were former steroid users, and 14 had never used these steroids.

The researchers used a Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) scan with the radioactive tracer Rubidium-82 to assess how much blood flowed to their heart muscle while resting and exercising and discovered that both former and current users had poor blood flow to the heart.

The findings indicate that former steroid users are more likely to develop heart disease when compared to those who have never used them, said the study.

"Previous studies have shown that the heart function almost normalises after anabolic steroids are discontinued, but our study suggests that former anabolic steroid users are at an increased risk of heart disease years after stopping as cardiac microcirculation -- the blood flow through the smallest vessels in the circulatory system -- seems persistently impaired," said lead author Dr Yeliz Bulut.

Moreover, Dr Bulut and colleagues conducted another study in which they collected questionnaires and blood samples from three groups of men aged 18-50 years: 89 current anabolic steroid users, 61 former steroid users, and 30 men who had never used steroids before.

The study found that former anabolic steroid users report a worse quality of life on their physical and mental health, such as fatigue, social functioning and emotional well-being, despite stopping years earlier.

"Our study adds to the growing body of literature that an impaired quality of life in previous anabolic steroid users seems to persist years following cessation and could be caused by both withdrawal and/or hypogonadal symptoms due to a sudden drop in testosterone levels in the blood," said Dr Bulut. —IANS

The use of anabolic steroids can cause serious side effects, including heart failure and depression, for years after the end of your use, a new study showed on Saturday

Steroid use associated with risk of heart disease, worse quality of life: Study

Washington: The findings of a recent pilot study headed by academics from the University of Illinois Chicago suggest that artificial intelligence may be a beneficial aid in the treatment of mental illness. The study, which was the first to test an AI voice-based virtual coach for behavioral therapy, found changes in patients' brain activity along with improved depression and anxiety symptoms after using Lumen, an AI voice assistant that delivered a form of psychotherapy. The UIC team says the results, which are published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, offer encouraging evidence that virtual therapy can play a role in filling the gaps in mental health care, where waitlists and disparities in access are often hurdles that patients, particularly from vulnerable communities, must overcome to receive treatment. "We've had an incredible explosion of need, especially in the wake of COVID, with soaring rates of anxiety and depression and not enough practitioners," said Dr. Olusola A. Ajilore, UIC professor of psychiatry and co-first author of the paper. "This kind of technology may serve as a bridge. It's not meant to be a replacement for traditional therapy, but it may be an important stop-gap before somebody can seek treatment." Lumen, which operates as a skill in the Amazon Alexa application, was developed by Ajilore and study senior author Dr.Jun Ma, the Beth and George Vitoux Professor of Medicine at UIC, along with collaborators at Washington University in St. Louis and Pennsylvania State University, with the support of a $2 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health.  The UIC researchers recruited over 60 patients for the clinical study exploring the application's effect on mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety symptoms, and activity in brain areas previously shown to be associated with the benefits of problem-solving therapy. Two-thirds of the patients used Lumen on a study-provided iPad for eight problem-solving therapy sessions, with the rest serving as a "waitlist" control receiving no intervention. After the intervention, study participants using the Lumen app showed decreased scores for depression, anxiety and psychological distress compared with the control group. The Lumen group also showed improvements in problem-solving skills that correlated with increased activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a brain area associated with cognitive control. Promising results for women and underrepresented populations also were found. "It's about changing the way people think about problems and how to address them, and not being emotionally overwhelmed," Ma said. "It's a pragmatic and patient-driven behavior therapy that's well established, which makes it a good fit for delivery using voice-based technology." A larger trial comparing the use of Lumen with both a control group on a waitlist, and patients receiving human-coached problem-solving therapy is currently being conducted by the researcher. They stress that the virtual coach doesn't need to perform better than a human therapist to fill a desperate need in the mental health system. "The way we should think about digital mental health service is not for these apps to replace humans, but rather to recognize what a gap we have between supply and demand, and then find novel, effective and safe ways to deliver treatments to individuals who otherwise do not have access, to fill that gap," Ma said. (ANI)

 The findings of a recent pilot study headed by academics from the University of Illinois Chicago suggest that artificial intelligence

AI voice coach shows promise in treating depression, anxiety: Study

New York: Artificial intelligence (AI) could be a useful tool in mental health treatment, according to a new study.
The study, which was the first to test an AI voice-based virtual coach for behavioural therapy, found changes in patients' brain activity along with improved depression and anxiety symptoms after using Lumen -- an AI voice assistant that delivered a form of psychotherapy.
The results, published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, offer encouraging evidence that virtual therapy can play a role in filling the gaps in mental health care, where waitlists and disparities in access are often hurdles that patients, particularly from vulnerable communities, must overcome to receive treatment. "We've had an incredible explosion of need, especially in the wake of Covid, with soaring rates of anxiety and depression and not enough practitioners," said Dr. Olusola A. Ajilore, professor of psychiatry at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC).
"This kind of technology may serve as a bridge. It's not meant to be a replacement for traditional therapy, but it may be an important stop-gap before somebody can seek treatment," Ajilore added.
The researchers recruited over 60 patients for the clinical study exploring the application's effect on mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety symptoms, and activity in brain areas previously shown to be associated with the benefits of problem-solving therapy.
Two-thirds of the patients used Lumen on a study-provided iPad for eight problem-solving therapy sessions, with the rest serving as a "waitlist" control receiving no intervention.
After the intervention, study participants using the Lumen app showed decreased scores for depression, anxiety and psychological distress compared with the control group.
The Lumen group also showed improvements in problem-solving skills that correlated with increased activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a brain area associated with cognitive control. Promising results for women and underrepresented populations also were found. "It's about changing the way people think about problems and how to address them, and not being emotionally overwhelmed," said Dr. Jun Ma, Professor of Medicine at UIC. "It's a pragmatic and patient-driven behaviour therapy that's well established, which makes it a good fit for delivery using voice-based technology," Ma added. —IANS

Artificial intelligence (AI) could be a useful tool in mental health treatment, according to a new study.

New AI Voice Coach May Help Treat Depression, Anxiety

Artificial intelligence (AI) could be a useful tool in mental health treatment, according to a new study

Washington: Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have significant new evidence of a relationship between reduced sense of smell and risk of developing late-life depression"&gt;depression in a study that followed over 2,000 community-dwelling older persons for eight years. Their findings, published in Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, do not demonstrate that loss of smell causes depression"&gt;depression, but suggests that it may serve as a potent indicator of overall health and well-being. "We've seen repeatedly that a poor sense of smell can be an early warning sign of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, as well as a mortality risk. This study underscores its association with depressive symptoms," says Vidya Kamath, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "Additionally, this study explores factors that might influence the relationship between olfaction and depression"&gt;depression, including poor cognition and inflammation." The study used data gathered from 2,125 participants in a federal government study known as the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study (Health ABC). This cohort was composed of a group of healthy older adults ages 70-73 at the start of the eight-year study period in 1997-98. Participants showed no difficulties in walking 0.25 miles, climbing 10 steps or performing normal activities at the start of the study, and were assessed in person annually and by phone every six months. Tests included those for the ability to detect certain odors, depression"&gt;depression and mobility assessments. In 1999, when smell was first measured, 48% of participants displayed a normal sense of smell, 28% showed a decreased sense of smell, known as hyposmia, and 24% had a profound loss of the sense, known as anosmia. Participants with a better sense of smell tended to be younger than those reporting significant loss or hyposmia. Over follow-up, 25% of participants developed significant depressive symptoms. When analyzed further, researchers found that individuals with decreased or significant loss of smell had increased risk of developing significant depressive symptoms at longitudinal follow-up than those in the normal olfaction group. Participants with a better sense of smell tended to be younger than those reporting significant loss or hyposomia. Researchers also identified three depressive symptom "trajectories" in the study group: stable low, stable moderate and stable high depressive symptoms. Poorer sense of smell was associated with an increased chance of a participant falling into the moderate or high depressive symptoms groups, meaning that the worse a person's sense of smell, the higher their depressive symptoms. These findings persisted after adjusting for age, income, lifestyle, health factors and use of antidepressant medication. "Losing your sense of smell influences many aspects of our health and behavior, such as sensing spoiled food or noxious gas, and eating enjoyment. Now we can see that it may also be an important vulnerability indicator of something in your health gone awry," says Kamath. "Smell is an important way to engage with the world around us, and this study shows it may be a warning sign for late-life depression"&gt;depression." Humans' sense of smell is one of two chemical senses. It works through specialized sensory cells, called olfactory neurons, which are found in the nose. These neurons have one odor receptor; it picks up molecules released by substances around us, which are then relayed to the brain for interpretation. The higher the concentration of these smell molecules the stronger the smell, and different combinations of molecules result in different sensations. Smell is processed in the brain's olfactory bulb, which is believed to interact closely with the amygdala, hippocampus and other brain structures that regulate and enable memory, decision-making and emotional responses. The Johns Hopkins researchers say their study suggests that olfaction and depression"&gt;depression may be linked through both biological (e.g., altered serotonin levels, brain volume changes) and behavioral (e.g., reduced social function and appetite) mechanisms. The researchers plan to replicate their findings from this study in more groups of older adults, and examine changes to individuals' olfactory bulbs to determine if this system is in fact altered in those diagnosed with depression"&gt;depression. They also plan to examine if smell can be used in intervention strategies to mitigate risk of late-life depression"&gt;depression. Other scientists who contributed to this research are Kening Jiang, Danielle Powell, Frank Lin and Jennifer Deal of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health; Kevin Manning of the University of Connecticut; R. Scott Mackin, Willa Brenowitz and Kristine Yaffe of the University of California, San Francisco; Keenan Walker and Eleanor Simonsick of the National Institute on Aging; and Honglei Chen of Michigan State University. No authors declared conflicts of interest related to this research under Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine policies. This work was supported by the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Nursing Research and the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health: National Institute on Aging. —ANI

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have significant new evidence of a relationship between reduced sense

Poor Sense Of Smell Linked To Higher Risk Of Depression In Older Adults: Study

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 previously unmedicated major depressive disorder were randomly given one of three widely prescribed typical antidepressants: escitalopram (brand name Lexapro) or sertraline (Zoloft), which act on serotonin, or venlafaxine-XR (Effexor), which acts on both serotonin and norepinephrine. Seven hundred and twelve of the participants completed the eight-week regimen. Before and after treatment with the antidepressants, the participants' depressive symptoms were measured using two surveys -- one, clinician-administered, and the other, a self-assessment, which included questions related to changes in sleep and eating. Measures on social and occupational functioning, as well as quality of life, were tracked as well. The participants also completed a series of cognitive tests, before and after treatment, measuring verbal memory, working memory, decision speed and sustained attention, among other tasks. Before treatment, scientists scanned 96 of the participants using functional magnetic resonance imaging as they engaged in a task called the "GoNoGo" that requires participants to press a button as quickly as possible when they see "Go" in green and to not press when they see "NoGo" in red. The fMRI tracked neuronal activity by measuring changes in blood oxygen levels, which showed levels of activity in different brain regions corresponding to Go or NoGo responses. Researchers then compared the participants' images with those of individuals without depression. The researchers found that 27% of the participants had more prominent symptoms of cognitive slowing and insomnia, impaired cognitive function on behavioral tests, as well as reduced activity in certain frontal brain regions -- a profile they labeled the cognitive biotype. "This study is crucial because psychiatrists have few measurement tools for depression to help make treatment decisions," said Laura Hack, MD, PhD, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. "It's mostly making observations and self-report measures. Imaging while performing cognitive tasks is rather novel in depression treatment studies." Pre-treatment fMRI showed those with the cognitive biotype had significantly reduced activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and dorsal anterior cingulate regions during the GoNoGo task compared with the activity levels in participants who did not have the cognitive biotype. Together, the two regions form the cognitive control circuit, which is responsible for limiting unwanted or irrelevant thoughts and responses and improving goal selection, among other tasks. After treatment, the researchers found that for the three antidepressants administered, the overall remission rates -- the absence of overall depression symptoms -- were 38.8% for participants with the newly discovered biotype and 47.7% for those without it. This difference was most prominent for sertraline, for which the remission rates were 35.9% and 50% for those with the biotype and those without, respectively. "Depression presents in different ways in different people, but finding commonalities -- like similar profiles of brain function -- helps medical professionals effectively treat participants by individualizing care," Williams said. Depression isn't one size fits all Williams and Hack propose that behavior measurement and imaging could help diagnose depression biotypes and lead to better treatment. A patient could complete a survey on their own computer or in the doctor's office, and if they are found to display a certain biotype, they might be referred to imaging for confirmation before undergoing treatment. Researchers at the Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health and Wellness, which Williams directs, in partnership with the Stanford Translational Precision Mental Health Clinic, which Hack directs, are studying another medication -- guanfacine -- that specifically targets the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex region with support from Stanford University Innovative Medicines Accelerator. They believe this treatment could be more effective for patients with the cognitive subtype. Williams and Hack hope to conduct studies with participants who have the cognitive biotype, comparing different types of medication with treatments such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and cognitive behavioral therapy. In transcranial magnetic stimulation, commonly referred to as TMS, magnetic fields stimulate nerve cells; in cognitive behavioral therapy, patients are taught to use problem-solving strategies to counter negative thoughts that contribute to both emotional dysregulation and loss of social and occupational abilities. "I regularly witness the suffering, the loss of hope and the increase in suicidality that occurs when people are going through our trial-and-error process," Hack said. "And it's because we start with medications that have the same mechanism of action for everyone with depression, even though depression is quite heterogeneous. I think this study could help change that." —ANI

Researchers at Stanford Medicine have described a novel subtype of depression known as the cognitive biotype

Research Identifies Subtype Of Depression

Washington: In a study that tracked almost 2,000 community-dwelling older people for eight years, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine claim they have significant new evidence of a connection between the diminished sense of smell and risk of developing late-life depression. Their findings, published in Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, do not demonstrate that loss of smell causes depression" depression, but suggests that it may serve as a potent indicator of overall health and well-being. "We've seen repeatedly that a poor sense of smell can be an early warning sign of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, as well as a mortality risk. This study underscores its association with depressive symptoms," says Vidya Kamath, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "Additionally, this study explores factors that might influence the relationship between olfaction and depression" depression, including poor cognition and inflammation." The study used data gathered from 2,125 participants in a federal government study known as the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study (Health ABC). This cohort was composed of a group of healthy older adults ages 70-73 at the start of the eight-year study period in 1997-98. Participants showed no difficulties in walking 0.25 miles, climbing 10 steps or performing normal activities at the start of the study, and were assessed in person annually and by phone every six months. Tests included those for the ability to detect certain odors, depression" depression and mobility assessments. In 1999, when smell was first measured, 48% of participants displayed a normal sense of smell, 28% showed a decreased sense of smell, known as hyposmia, and 24% had a profound loss of the sense, known as anosmia. Participants with a better sense of smell tended to be younger than those reporting significant loss or hyposmia. Over follow-up, 25% of participants developed significant depressive symptoms. When analyzed further, researchers found that individuals with decreased or significant loss of smell had increased risk of developing significant depressive symptoms at longitudinal follow-up than those in the normal olfaction group. Participants with a better sense of smell tended to be younger than those reporting significant loss or hyposomia. Researchers also identified three depressive symptom "trajectories" in the study group: stable low, stable moderate and stable high depressive symptoms. Poorer sense of smell was associated with an increased chance of a participant falling into the moderate or high depressive symptoms groups, meaning that the worse a person's sense of smell, the higher their depressive symptoms. These findings persisted after adjusting for age, income, lifestyle, health factors and use of antidepressant medication. "Losing your sense of smell influences many aspects of our health and behavior, such as sensing spoiled food or noxious gas, and eating enjoyment. Now we can see that it may also be an important vulnerability indicator of something in your health gone awry," says Kamath. "Smell is an important way to engage with the world around us, and this study shows it may be a warning sign for late-life depression" depression." Humans' sense of smell is one of two chemical senses. It works through specialized sensory cells, called olfactory neurons, which are found in the nose. These neurons have one odor receptor; it picks up molecules released by substances around us, which are then relayed to the brain for interpretation. The higher the concentration of these smell molecules the stronger the smell, and different combinations of molecules result in different sensations. Smell is processed in the brain's olfactory bulb, which is believed to interact closely with the amygdala, hippocampus and other brain structures that regulate and enable memory, decision-making and emotional responses. The Johns Hopkins researchers say their study suggests that olfaction and depression" depression may be linked through both biological (e.g., altered serotonin levels, brain volume changes) and behavioral (e.g., reduced social function and appetite) mechanisms. The researchers plan to replicate their findings from this study in more groups of older adults, and examine changes to individuals' olfactory bulbs to determine if this system is in fact altered in those diagnosed with depression"&amp;gt;depression. They also plan to examine if smell can be used in intervention strategies to mitigate risk of late-life depression" depression. Other scientists who contributed to this research are Kening Jiang, Danielle Powell, Frank Lin and Jennifer Deal of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health; Kevin Manning of the University of Connecticut; R. Scott Mackin, Willa Brenowitz and Kristine Yaffe of the University of California, San Francisco; Keenan Walker and Eleanor Simonsick of the National Institute on Aging; and Honglei Chen of Michigan State University. No authors declared conflicts of interest related to this research under Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine policies. This work was supported by the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Nursing Research and the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health: National Institute on Aging. —ANI

 In a study that tracked almost 2,000 community-dwelling older people for eight years, researchers at Johns Hopkin

Poor Sense Of Smell May Be Linked To Depression In Older People: Study

Indianapolis: Depression and anxiety are frequently associated with pain" chronic pain. The study looks at the connection between pain, the most common reason people see a doctor, and sadness and anxiety, the two most common mental health issues worldwide. He emphasises the necessity of not ignoring psychological indicators in patients who are in pain. In an invited commentary published in JAMA Network Open, Kurt Kroenke, M.D., of Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine.
<a href="https://www.thehawk.in/posts/mineralization-of-bone-matrix-affects-tumour-cell-growth:-research" target="_blank">Health News: Mineralization Of Bone Matrix Affects Tumour Cell Growth: Research</a> 	 “One of the reasons for the bi-directional linkage between pain and depression, as well as anxiety, is the existence of a feedback loop. Individuals with pain don't sleep well and their resulting tiredness affects their mood, making them vulnerable to depression and anxiety. Having problems with depression or anxiety can increase susceptibility to pain. “Also, areas in the brain that affect the pain that people experience are connected with areas that regulate mood, making physical and mental symptoms closely associated,” Dr. Kroenke said. Noting that successfully addressing depression and anxiety is connected with pain relief, he observes that while treating pain may not alleviate depression and anxiety to the same extent, it does not undermine the need of detecting and treating both physical and psychological problems.
<a href="https://www.thehawk.in/posts/cji-chandrachud-launches-qr-code-based-epass-for-entry-at-sc" target="_blank">Delhi News: CJI Chandrachud launches QR code-based ePass for entry at SC</a> “Symptoms of the body and the mind are frequent fellow travelers,” said Dr. Kroenke. “But patients seeing their primary care physician for a headache, back or muscle or leg pain or stomachache often neglect to mention the symptoms commonly associated with depression and anxiety that they are also experiencing such as fatigue, lack of motivation, nervousness and moodiness. And physicians don’t always ask about symptoms beyond the ones which brought the patient into the office. “Un- or under-treated, these emotional symptoms can cause long-term suffering and impaired quality of life. If clinicians measure and monitor both physical and mental symptoms they will be more able and likely to treat them. But there is no blood pressure cuff, lab test or X-ray for symptoms. We don't have a way to measure symptoms other than from what the patient tells us, yet screening and diagnosis are crucial to improving patient outcomes.” Dr. Kroenke is one of the fathers and leaders of the growing field of symptomology and the developer of several validated and widely used scales which enable clinicians to use feedback from patients to measure type and severity of pain (PEG), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7) and other symptoms including cancer fatigue (FSI-3) and risk of suicide (P-4). These brief measurement tools have been translated into more than 100 languages. Symptoms account for half of all outpatient primary care visits. In a review article published in 2014, Dr. Kroenke and colleagues reported that one in three common symptoms do not have a clear-cut disease-based explanation. That percentage is now thought to be more than one in two, he says. The need to address both physical and psychological symptoms has long been recognized, says Dr. Kroenke, whose measurement tools are helping physicians to do so. He concludes his JAMA Network Open commentary with an illustrative quote from Ovid [born 43 B.C.], “I am no better in mind than in body; both alike are sick and I suffer double hurt.” —ANI

Depression and anxiety are frequently associated with pain">chronic pain

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