RightHealth Daily Dose » depression

“Exergames” Reduce Depression In Seniors

Steven — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:17:01 +0000

Physicians from the University of California, San Diego believe that “exergames” – video games that combine game play with physical exercise, such as the Nintendo Wii – can improve symptoms of minor depression in seniors. Depression that is not yet classified as “major depression” is very common in seniors and can be associated with substantial suffering, functional disability, and increased use of costly medical services. In an exergames study published in the March 2010 issue of The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, researchers found that “More than one-third of the participants had a 50-percent or greater reduction of depressive symptoms. Many had a significant improvement in their mental health-related quality of life and increased cognitive stimulation.” Although this study was very small, it demonstrates a potentially cost-effective way of reducing morbidity among senior citizens and, indeed, many nursing homes around the country are already employing exergames in physical therapy. [via iHealth Bulletin]

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Acupuncture Effective For Depression During Pregnancy

Steven — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:49:48 +0000

A new Stanford University study published in the current journal Obstetrics & Gynecology suggests that acupuncture during pregnancy may help with symptoms of depression. The small study followed 150 pregnant women with major depression who were randomly assigned to undergo either acupuncture specifically designed for depression, general acupuncture or Swedish massage. After eight weeks of treatment, nearly 66% of the women who underwent depression-specific acupuncture demonstrated a reduction in at least 50% of their symptoms, compared with just under half of the women treated with either massage or regular acupuncture. [via TopNews]

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Paxil Decreases Tamoxifen Efficacy

Steven — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:17:14 +0000

The British Medical Journal is reporting on a new Canadian study which suggests that women who are taking the drug tamoxifen for treatment of breast cancer should not take the antidepressant Paxil (paroxetine). This is because Paxil is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that significantly inhibits an enzyme called cytochrome P450 2D6, which is needed to metabolize tamoxifen into its active form. This effect, however, was not seen with other SSRIs that were evaluated, including Celexa (citalopram) and Effexor (venlafaxine). It’s important to note that if you are currently takin Paxil, you should not abruptly stop the drug because it can cause serious withdrawal side effects. People who are currently taking Paxil and tamoxifen should talk with their doctors about changing their antidepressant. [via HealthDay]

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Concussions’ Chronic Effects On Mental Health

Steven — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:39:35 +0000

The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill is researching the chronic affects of concussions by studying 3,000 ex-NFL players. Concussions can occur in athletes playing any contact sport, even those wearing head protection, and may leave life-long consequences including depression, memory loss and behavioral changes. By using sophisticated imaging techniques that allow them to look down to the level of neurons, researchers noted that players who have had concussions have damaged connections between brain cells. The regions of the brain that appear to be most disrupted in the 41 retired players studied thus far are the same regions which are damaged in early Alzheimer’s disease patients. This may explain why these players experience early cognitive impairment and clinical depression (both are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease). In addition, we already know from posthumous studies of athletes’ brains that concussions can pepper the brain with injuries that resemble brown tangles called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which can cause the brains of players as young as in the 30s to resemble brains of 80 year-olds with dementia. [via CNN]

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Woman Loses Health Benefits Over Facebook Photos

Steven — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:30:19 +0000

A Canadian woman recently lost her health disability insurance benefits over photos of her found on Facebook. Due to a diagnosis of major depression, Nathalie Blanchard was on sick leave from her job at IBM. However, her payments stopped this fall after her insurance agent apparently found several pictures of her in which she appeared to be having fun – at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party and on a getaway vacation. However, having depression doesn’t mean you are depressed all the time. Depressed individuals can have fleeting moments of joy, only to return back to their feelings of sadness afterwords. In her own defense, Ms. Blanchard states it was her physician’s advice to try and interject some fun into her life. She is currently working with her lawyer to regain her benefits. [via Yahoo! News]

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Sleep Disturbance Linked To Suicide

Steven — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 06:54:31 +0000

Sleep is important for our mental, emotional and physical well being. Which is why mental disorders, such as depression, often have manifestations of sleep disturbance. However, the results of a University of Michigan study, to be presented at the upcoming World Psychiatric Association meeting, show that the complaint of sleep disturbance is enough to alert physicians that a patient may have a higher risk of suicide, whether or not they have a psychiatric condition. The more types of sleep disturbances people had, the more likely they were to have thoughts of killing themselves, or actually try to do so.

Moldy Homes Associated With Depression

Steven — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:55:44 +0000

A Brown University study of European households finds an association between depression and the presence of mold in the home. The risk for depression increased by about 40 percent among people who lived in moldy homes, said lead research author Edmund D. Shenassa. It is as yet unclear what the relationship between the two is – does mold actually cause depression, or are depressed people more likely to not clean their homes and allow mold to grow? The U.S. government has not established general guidelines for acceptable levels of residential mold. And no study has conclusively linked mold exposure to mental health problems.