Serotonin News and Research

Latest Serotonin News and Research

Rotating shift workers have lower levels of serotonin

People who work rotating shifts have significantly lower levels of serotonin, a hormone and neurotransmitter in the central nervous system believed to play an important role in the regulation of sleep, according to a study published in the August 1st issue of the journal SLEEP.

3 Aug 2007

New view on role of protein synthesis in memory formation

New research from the University of Illinois challenges the premise that the brain must build new proteins in response to an experience for that experience to be recorded in long-term memory.

27 Jul 2007

Study challenges NICE guidelines that recommend SSRIs be prescribed only in conjunction with psychological therapies

Should adolescents with depression be prescribed antidepressants, and if so, should they be given only with a psychological therapy, as advocated by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)"

20 Jul 2007

Antidepressants lower the risk of suicide attempt in adults with depression

All age groups of depressed patients who received selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors -- the most commonly prescribed antidepressant medication -- showed a significantly lower risk of suicide attempt when compared to those who did not receive antidepressant treatment.

9 Jul 2007

Antidepressant warnings linked to decreased prescription rates among children

Regulatory warnings regarding the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors appear to be associated with reductions in the number of antidepressant medication prescriptions among children and adolescents covered by Tennessee's expanded Medicaid program, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

4 Jul 2007

Antidepressants not linked to birth defects

Two research studies published in The New England Journal of Medicine found taking SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), anti-depression drugs, during pregnancy did not significantly increase the overall risk for most birth defects.

4 Jul 2007

Antidepressants during pregnancy present remote risk of birth defects

According to the latest research the newer antidepressant drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) only slightly increase the risk of birth defects in pregnancy.

28 Jun 2007

Popular antidepressants make elderly bones fragile

Two newly released studies have come out in support for the growing body of evidence that the most popular drugs used to treat depression may contribute to fragile bones in elderly people.

27 Jun 2007

Use of SSRIs during pregnancy does not increase the risk for most birth defects

Use of certain antidepressants, selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors most commonly known as SSRIs, during pregnancy does not significantly increase the risk for most birth defects, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, released in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

27 Jun 2007

Link between depression and low levels of folate

In research published in the July edition of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the York team led by Dr Simon Gilbody, concluded that there was a link between depression and low folate levels, following a review of 11 previous studies involving 15,315 participants.

27 Jun 2007

SSRIs associated with lower bone density in older men and women

The class of antidepressant medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be associated with an increased rate of bone loss in older men and women, according to two articles in the June 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

26 Jun 2007

Medicare Part D plans vary across U.S.

An examination of Medicare Part D plans in California and Hawaii reveals wide variations in drug formularies, but indicates that for many classes of drugs, it is possible to find at least one or more drug that is covered by nearly all Part D plans, according to a study in the June 20 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association

20 Jun 2007