Higher
heritability of depression in women than in
men
The
heritability of major depression has been
estimated to be in the range of 35%-40%. A
recent study of lifetime major depression in
twins found a greater genetic risk factor for
major depression in women than in men. The study
also determined the stability of estimates of
the heritability of major depression across a
series of historical
cohorts....................................
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What
are the factors considered important by the
patients in defining remission from
depression?
Remission
is the primary goal of treatment of depression.
Typically, remission is based on scores on
symptom severity scales such as HAM-D and MADRS.
Normalization of functioning is rarely used to
assess remission. A recent survey determined the
factors depressed patients themselves considered
important in defining remission from
depression........................................Click
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Increased
5-HT1A receptor binding in the brain of
depressed patients
5-HT1A
receptors are involved in the pathophysiology of
major depressive disorder and in the mechanism
of action of SSRIs. The C(-1019)G polymorphism
of the promoter region of the 5-HT1A gene has
been shown to be associated with depression. in
a study depressed subjects were scanned to
quantify 5-HT1A binding, and to explore the
long-term effects of antidepressant exposure and
the importance of the C(-1019)G
polymorphism...................................
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Rapid
antidepressant effect with the combined
treatment by sulpiride and paroxetine
The
delayed onset of action of antidepressants
remains a problem. A 12 week study has
examined the efficacy and onset of
antidepressant of action of the dopamine
D2 receptor antagonist, sulpiride
co-administered with paroxetine in comparison
with paroxetine alone. The combination was shown
to have superior efficacy and a more rapid onset
of action than paroxetine alone
..................................
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Involvement
of dopaminergic mechanisms in the altered reward
processing in major depressive disorder
The
brain reward system (BRS) mediates reward
behaviors such as pleasure and motivation. A
recent study using dextroamphetamine in
association with functional magnetic resonance
imaging (fMRI) has shown that altered
dopaminergic mechanisms in the BRS may be
involved in depression
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Association
between low levels of platelet adenylyl cyclase
activity and an increased risk of major
depression
A
recent study of the activity of the enzyme,
adenylyl cyclase, in platelets of depressed
patients and control subjects concludes that
adenylyl cyclase activity could be a good
candidate for a state or trait marker of major
depression and a possible prognostic or
diagnostic tool for major depression
.................................
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article
Updated
April 2006