Serotonin News and Research

Latest Serotonin News and Research

Study shows significant decrease in use of antidepressants by pregnant women

A pregnancy is not always a happy event and as many as 10-15 per cent of pregnant women in Denmark have depressive symptoms. Despite years of critical focus on the side effects of antidepressants in the healthcare system, consumption of antidepressants by pregnant women actually increased drastically during the period 1997 to 2011.

29 Oct 2019

Discovery of causal link between hydrogen sulfide and schizophrenia

Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan have found certain chemical markers that are associated with schizophrenia. They worked with lab mice with models of schizophrenia as well as post mortem brain specimens of persons with schizophrenia. The study titled, “Excess hydrogen sulfide and polysulfides production underlies a schizophrenia pathophysiology,” was published in the latest issue of the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine.

28 Oct 2019

MPST enzyme levels in hair could be a good biomarker for schizophrenia

Working with model mice, post-mortem human brains, and people with schizophrenia, researchers at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan have discovered that a subtype of schizophrenia is related to abnormally high levels hydrogen sulfide in the brain.

28 Oct 2019

Detecting neurotransmitters at the lowest concentrations

Dopamine, serotonin, adrenalin... The smooth functioning of the human brain depends on their correct proportions. Any disturbances mean diseases.

24 Oct 2019

Half the drugs in use damage gut bacteria, says new study

A startling presentation at UEG Week 2019, in Barcelona, reveals that the gut microbiome is at high risk for damage each time we use a drug from one or more of 18 commonly used groups. The effects may range from changes in the relative proportions of different beneficial and potentially harmful species to alterations in the cellular metabolism of the bacteria themselves.

23 Oct 2019

Research could lead to new ways to fight against schistosomiasis

Scientists at the Morgridge Institute for Research have isolated a natural chemical that acts as a potent kryptonite against schistosomes, the parasitic worms that burrow through human skin and cause devastating health problems.

17 Oct 2019

Melatonin may not help prevent delirium following major cardiac surgery

Delirium is observed in approximately 15% of hospitalized older adults, and it is more common in the critically ill and in those undergoing major surgery, such as heart surgery.

9 Oct 2019

UTHealth: Psychedelic drug being studied to relieve treatment-resistant depression

Psilocybin, a psychedelic drug believed to help rewire the brain, is now being studied to relieve treatment-resistant depression at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) as part of a global Phase II clinical trial.

8 Oct 2019

New study shows link between antidepressant use and gestational diabetes mellitus

A study has found a link between the use of antidepressants and the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in pregnant women.

2 Oct 2019

Researchers use AI to predict depression outcomes

The psychiatry field has long sought answers to explain why antidepressants help only some people.

25 Sep 2019

Unexpected mechanism of action found with sertraline

A new study on sertraline, which is one of the most popular drugs for depression and anxiety, shows that its efficacy is undoubted, but it operates primarily by reducing anxiety rather than depression.

23 Sep 2019

Identification and management of depression in people with epilepsy to save lives

Depression is the most common psychiatric comorbidity in people with epilepsy. Clinical studies have found that 20% to 30% of people with epilepsy have depression; the incidence may be as high as 50% to 55% in people visiting hospital epilepsy centers.

21 Sep 2019

Deep brain magnetic stimulation can improve symptoms of OCD

Researchers have found that focusing powerful non-invasive magnet stimulation on a specific brain area can improve the symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

8 Sep 2019

Serotonin and anti-depressants can have a major effect on the gut's microbiota

A new study in mice led by UCLA biologists strongly suggests that serotonin and drugs that target serotonin, such as anti-depressants, can have a major effect on the gut's microbiota -- the 100 trillion or so bacteria and other microbes that live in the human body's intestines.

6 Sep 2019

Higher levels of serotonin after a seizure linked to lower incidence of breathing problems

Could a chemical produced by the brain that regulates mood, sleep and breathing also be protective in people with epilepsy? New research has found that higher levels of serotonin in the blood after a seizure are linked to a lower incidence of seizure-related breathing problems called apneas, when a person temporarily stops breathing.

5 Sep 2019

Study reveals link between popular pain medication and greater risk of hypoglycemia

Since its approval in 1995, the opioid tramadol (marketed as ConZip and Ultram) has become a widely prescribed remedy for osteoarthritis and other painful indications, in part because it presents a lesser risk for some side effects and has a lower abuse potential when compared to other opioids.

28 Aug 2019

Unraveling the secret itch pathway

Itching is among the most persistent of skin sensations, requiring an immediate response. However, scientists say it is a protective sensation that stimulates the individual to eliminate parasites and other irritating substances from the skin.

23 Aug 2019

Research explains why many psychiatric drugs that work in the lab don’t work in people

Current drug development for neuropsychiatric disorders is in crisis, say experts. More than 90 percent of all drugs that are developed for illnesses like schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), or the brain tumor glioblastoma complete successful trials in mice but then come to a grinding halt in human trials, wasting billions of dollars in drug research. This is partly because of obvious behavioral differences between the two species.

22 Aug 2019

MDMA, or ecstasy, shows promise as a PTSD treatment

The first time Lori Tipton tried MDMA, she was skeptical it would make a difference.

21 Aug 2019

Resveratrol shows promise for anxiety and depression

A new study has shown that the compound resveratrol found in red wine demonstrates stress relieving effects in anxiety and depression. This could be due to resveratrol’s ability to control an enzyme in the brain that is liked to stress say the researchers from the University at Buffalo in collaboration with Xuzhou Medical University in China.

29 Jul 2019