Serotonin News and Research

Latest Serotonin News and Research

Antidepressant use in children, adolescents linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes

A team of researchers from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that current (prolonged) use of serotonin reuptake inhibitors – a major class of antidepressant medications – in children and adolescents was associated with a nearly two-fold increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes when compared to youths who formerly used (but eventually discontinued) those medications.

24 Oct 2017

Four genes associated with OCD identified

There are found genes that have been identified to be associated with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). These genes have been found to alter the circuitry of the brain in a manner that could lead to OCD. These genetic links also point to the fact why OCD sometimes runs in families. The study is published in the latest issue of Nature Communications.

18 Oct 2017

BMC researchers studying possibility of weight loss drugs to combat cocaine addiction

Boston Medical Center's psychiatry team is studying a drug called lorcaserin, which targets the brain's serotonin receptors and could help reduce cocaine cravings as well as dampen the rewards associated with taking cocaine.

21 Sep 2017

Study may provide insights into treating autism and other neuropsychiatric disorders

Alterations in a naturally occurring chemical in the brain called serotonin have been linked to a number of neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

20 Sep 2017

Study examines effectiveness of placebo and antidepressants in children, adolescents

Although the clinical efficacy of antidepressants in children and adolescents is proven, it is frequently accompanied by side effects. In addition, the influence of the placebo effect on the efficacy of antidepressants is unclear.

15 Sep 2017

Abnormalities in common brain chemical linked to sudden infant death syndrome

University of Adelaide researchers have confirmed that abnormalities in a common brain chemical are linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

14 Sep 2017

Antidepressant users have higher risk of death than non-users, researchers find

Antidepressant medications, most commonly prescribed to reduce depression and anxiety, increase the risk of death, according to new findings by a McMaster-led team of researchers.

14 Sep 2017

Antidepressants used for chronic pain relief come with significant side effects

Chronic pain negatively impacts a person's quality of life. Often, over the counter pain medication, such as ibuprofen or aspirin, are ineffective in alleviating chronic pain. In these instances, a surprising choice is often a drug used to treat an entirely different condition - depression.

5 Sep 2017

Better understanding of serotonin's function in the brain could lead to radical shift in psychiatric care

A better understanding of how a key chemical messenger acts in the brain could lead to a radical shift in psychiatric care, according to a new research paper.

4 Sep 2017

Cortisol mediates communication between gut bacteria and brain metabolites, study suggests

Gut microbes have been in the news a lot lately. Recent studies show they can influence human health, behavior, and certain neurological disorders, such as autism.

21 Aug 2017

Older people treated with electroconvulsive therapy for depression may not get relief from insomnia

Older people receiving electroconvulsive therapy for their depression likely will need an additional treatment if insomnia is one of their symptoms, researchers report.

16 Aug 2017

Dementia and low brain serotonin may be linked: Study finds

Johns Hopkins researchers looked into the brain scans of persons with mild loss of thought and memory and have found that they have significantly low levels of serotonin in their brains. Serotonin is a natural brain chemical that is responsible for several functions including mood, sleep and appetite and also is important for several mental health conditions.

14 Aug 2017

Brain scans reveal lower serotonin transporters in people with mild cognitive impairment

In a study looking at brain scans of people with mild loss of thought and memory ability, Johns Hopkins researchers report evidence of lower levels of the serotonin transporter -- a natural brain chemical that regulates mood, sleep and appetite.

14 Aug 2017

Study findings could lead to more effective and faster acting antidepressants

For people suffering from depression, a day without treatment can seem like a lifetime. A new study explains why the most commonly prescribed antidepressants can take as long as six weeks to have an effect. The findings could one day lead to more effective and faster acting drugs.

3 Aug 2017

Research findings may provide path to new faster-acting antidepressants

Some activity patterns in the brain can be dangerous, producing persistent dark moods that drain people's motivation, pleasure, and hope.

28 Jul 2017

New study links unhealthy diet during pregnancy to mental health disorders in offspring

A high-fat diet not only creates health problems for expectant mothers, but new research in an animal model suggests it alters the development of the brain and endocrine system of their offspring and has a long-term impact on offspring behavior.

21 Jul 2017

Study explores reasons for higher risk of depression in some women

It's no secret that the risk of depression increases for women when their hormones are fluctuating. Especially vulnerable times include the menopause transition and onset of postmenopause.

19 Jul 2017

Study finds high levels of serotonin in blood of SIDS infants

Blood samples from infants who died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) had high levels of serotonin, a chemical that carries signals along and between nerves, according to a study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.

4 Jul 2017

Researchers identify key protein that helps trigger ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects

UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists have identified a key protein that helps trigger ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects in the brain, a crucial step to developing alternative treatments to the controversial drug being dispensed in a growing number of clinics across the country.

22 Jun 2017

Single bout of exercise can have significant positive behavioral and cognitive effects

In a new review of the effects of acute exercise published in Brain Plasticity, researchers not only summarize the behavioral and cognitive effects of a single bout of exercise, but also summarize data from a large number of neurophysiological and neurochemical studies in both humans and animals showing the wide range of brain changes that result from a single session of physical exercise.

12 Jun 2017

Serotonin News and Research

Latest Serotonin News and Research

Antidepressant use in children, adolescents linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes

Four genes associated with OCD identified

BMC researchers studying possibility of weight loss drugs to combat cocaine addiction

Study may provide insights into treating autism and other neuropsychiatric disorders

Study examines effectiveness of placebo and antidepressants in children, adolescents

Abnormalities in common brain chemical linked to sudden infant death syndrome

Antidepressant users have higher risk of death than non-users, researchers find

Antidepressants used for chronic pain relief come with significant side effects

Better understanding of serotonin's function in the brain could lead to radical shift in psychiatric care

Cortisol mediates communication between gut bacteria and brain metabolites, study suggests

Older people treated with electroconvulsive therapy for depression may not get relief from insomnia

Dementia and low brain serotonin may be linked: Study finds

Brain scans reveal lower serotonin transporters in people with mild cognitive impairment

Study findings could lead to more effective and faster acting antidepressants

Research findings may provide path to new faster-acting antidepressants

New study links unhealthy diet during pregnancy to mental health disorders in offspring

Study explores reasons for higher risk of depression in some women

Study finds high levels of serotonin in blood of SIDS infants

Researchers identify key protein that helps trigger ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects

Single bout of exercise can have significant positive behavioral and cognitive effects

Innovation in neuroscience drug discovery - eBook eBook

Scalable, Smart, and Accessible: The Future of Lab Automation

Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures: A Conversation with WHO’s Dr. Allotey

The evolution of OCT for retinal imaging and disease intervention

Serotonin News and Research

Latest Serotonin News and Research

Innovation in neuroscience drug discovery - eBook eBook

Scalable, Smart, and Accessible: The Future of Lab Automation

Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures: A Conversation with WHO’s Dr. Allotey

The evolution of OCT for retinal imaging and disease intervention

Newsletters you may be interested in