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University Of Utah Depression Study

Feasibility And Acute Treatment Effects

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Propofol was dosed with the goal of maintaining the SR at 80% to 100% for 15 minutes. Upon induction with propofol, subjects became unconscious within approximately 1 minute. Approximately 5 minutes after induction, the targeted state of deep anesthesia was reached, and this state was maintained for 10 to 17.5 minutes . shows a representative example of the EEG effects of this procedure. After propofol was discontinued, participants remained unconscious with eyes closed for 20 to 47 minutes . Once eyes opened, recovery was typically rapid: on average, subjects became fully oriented to time and place 6 minutes after opening their eyes, and they met discharge criteria 10 minutes after eyes open .

Researchers Identify Biomarker For Depression Antidepressant Response

Researchers are one step closer to developing a blood test that provides a simple biochemical hallmark for depression and reveals the efficacy of drug therapy in individual patients.

The research builds off of previous studies by several investigators that have shown in humans and animal models that depression is consistent with decreased adenylyl cyclase a small molecule inside the cell that is made in response to neurotransmitters such as serotonin and epinephrine.

When you are depressed, adenylyl cyclase is low. The reason adenylyl cyclase is attenuated is that the intermediary protein that allows the neurotransmitter to make the adenylyl cyclase, Gs alpha, is stuck in a cholesterol-rich matrix of the membrane a lipid raft where they dont work very well, Rasenick said.

The new study, A Novel Peripheral Biomarker for Depression and Antidepressant Response, published in Molecular Psychiatry, has identified the cellular biomarker for translocation of Gs alpha from lipid rafts. The biomarker can be identified through a blood test.

What we have developed is a test that can not only indicate the presence of depression but it can also indicate therapeutic response with a single biomarker, and that is something that has not existed to date, said Rasenick, who is also a research career scientist at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center.

A blood test may be able to show whether or not the Gs alpha was out of the lipid raft after one week.

Can Video Games Relieve Depression In Older Adults University Of Utah Study To Find Out

SALT LAKE CITY Could playing video games help with depression in older adults when medication doesnt seem to work?

Researchers at the University of Utah received a five-year, $7.5-million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to determine whether therapy like video games can help alleviate depression in adults ages 60-85.

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How The Trial Works

The trial in Utah is being conducted at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, though patients can also participate remotely.

It begins with an initial cognitive test. Patients then undergo a six-week clinical trialwhere they play Neurogrow and other included games for about 30 hours over the course of four weeks.

After, patients take another cognitive test to see what, if anything, has changed. Trial administrators then make follow up calls for the following two weeks to see how patients are doing, followed by voluntary three-month and one-year follow ups for patients that want to be evaluated again.

Patients who play the game at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute are treated to nice comfy chairs and snacks, Morimoto said. Those who prefer to play remotely are given a tablet with the game installed on it and can Zoom with administrators while they play in case they have questions.

Morimoto hopes that at least 250 people will participate in the trial, but she noted that recruitment has been challenging. Any older adult who may be dealing with depression may call 801-746-9588 to be considered for the trial.

Previously, Morimoto only tested Neurogrow on patients who were taking medication to treat their depression, but this trial also will accommodate people who arent taking medication. Morimoto said her team will collaborate with a patients physician to track their progress and help them move forward after the trial ends.

Video Game Developer In University Regarding Treatment Of Depression Receives $75m Grant

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Bryan LengJanuary 3rd, 2022 – 11:17 AM

A video game developer at a lab at the University of Utah received a grant of $7.5 million from the National Mental Health Institute to conduct clinical trials for its further development. The game is called Neurogrow and is designed to treat older adults with depression. Neurogrow lets players take care of a virtual garden with changing circumstances. The gameplay aims to strengthen circuits in the front of the brain in older adults who suffer from depression. Neurogrow is developed by the Therapeutic Games and Apps Lab at the University of Utah based on Dr. Sarah Shizuko Morimotos research. Sarah is an associate professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences. Her team received the grant in April and began the clinical trials in August. According to Sarah, receiving the grant marked the crowning achievement of her career.

Morimoto said that an early clinical trial showed that between 60% to 70% of patients who hadnt previously responded to medication reported that the game provided some relief before she came to the University. Morimoto ran another trial against a generally stimulating computer program and found that 60% to 70% of patients reported a 50% reduction in their depression symptoms.

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What To Watch For

  • Increased isolation from the world.
  • Getting affairs in order.
  • Acting anxious, tired or depressed.
  • Talking about being a burden to others.
  • Feeling hopeless or feeling like they have no purpose.
  • Talking about wanting to die.
  • Displaying extreme mood swings.
  • Increase in the use of alcohol or drugs.
  • Rage or recklessness.
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255
  • https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/live-well/2018/04/suicide-prevention-resources-in-utah/

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University Of Utah Health Scientists Say Certain Video Games Improve Mental Health In Older Adults

Laurie Featherstone plays a video game that scientists say can help improve mental health.

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY Playing video games might look like a fun way to spend an afternoon. “They get addicting,” said Laurie Featherstone, age 60, who lives in Millcreek.

But it can also be so much more.

Games are helping Featherstone treat her depression. “I thought, ‘I don’t have anything really to live for,'” she said. Featherstone faced her second severe case a few years ago. This time, antidepressants didn’t work. “I felt like it was controlling my life. It ended up being quite devastating,” she said.

“When you go to someone like me and say, ‘I’m depressed,’ you expect me to say, ‘Well, you should take some medicine or you should go to therapy.’ So we’re really proposing a third, very odd option to patients,” said Shizuko Morimoto, a University of Utah population health sciences professor.

Morimoto, a neuroscientist, treated Featherstone with video games designed to target the cognitive control center of the brain which malfunctions in depressed patients.

In three clinical trials, they’ve found the games reduced isolation and depression in patients ages 60-85. Now, scientists hope to prove it on a larger scale with a $7.5 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health.

Featherstone said it’s an intense workout. “It felt like I’d gone out and ran you know, a 5K race and but with my brain,” she said.

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Who Can Be In The Study

In order to be in the study you must meet these criteria:

  • Methamphetamine must be your drug of choice.
  • You have to have used within the past six months.
  • You must be a female between the ages of 18 and 55 years.
  • You must meet criteria for depression during your screening visit.
  • You cannot have a current DSM-IV or DSM-V diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder.
  • Your HIV and pregnancy tests must be negative.
  • You cannot have a significant current or past medical, neurological, or psychiatric co-morbidity.

What Do I Have To Do If I Am In The Study

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If you are interested in participating in the study, we will schedule an appointment for you to meet our study staff. You will undergo a screening visit to determine if you are eligible to participate. We will ask you some questions and draw your blood to make sure you are healthy and fit our criteria.

If you are eligible and decide that you want to be in the study, you will receive your first brain scan. You will also start taking the study drug each day. You will come to study visits twice a week for eight weeks where we will keep track of your use and labs.

At the end of eight weeks you will receive your second brain scan and will stop taking the study drug. After not taking study drug for two weeks, you will come in for your final appointment to make sure your labs are normal.

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Ask The Expert About Depression In Older Adults

Sarah Morimoto, PsyD., lead the new clinical trial and is an associate professor of population health sciences at University of Utah Health.

She said the study is looking to confirm previous studies findings that intervention does a good job at treating depression in older adults who did not fully benefit from antidepressant medication. That may be happening because parts of the brain dont function as well because the brain is, well, older.

In previous research, scientists found that 60% to 70% of older patients who were unable to benefit from antidepressant meds and who played specially designed video games reported a 50% decline in depressive symptoms in 30 days, according to U of U Health.

Flas Scholarships Support Language Study

University of Utah students can apply by January 28, 2022, for awards up to $18,000 in tuition funding, plus stipends, for studying an underrepresented language.

The Foreign Language and Area Studies scholarship, a program of the U.S. Department of Education, provides financial support toward tuition and fees to eligible undergraduate students interested in studying Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Ecuadorian Quechua, Hindu-Urdu, Japanese, Korean, Nahuatl, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Samoan, or Vietnamese.

  • Undergraduate awards provide up to $10,000 in tuition and a $5,000 stipend for the academic year.
  • Graduate awards provide up to $18,000 in tuition and a $15,000 stipend for the academic year.
  • Summer awards provide up to $5,000 in tuition and a $2,500 stipend.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Undergraduate applicants must demonstrate at least second-year proficiency of their selected language at the beginning of the award period. Both undergraduate and graduate students in any major are encouraged to apply.

While a student’s reasons for studying a foreign language may vary– preparing for research and graduate study, connecting to their heritage, sheer curiosity, and love of learning–the benefits are the same and far-ranging. Students who take time to study another language reap cognitive benefits, deepen their connection to world cultures and obtain a competitive advantage in the job market.

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Uic Receives $59m To Study Mood Disorders Cognition

May 18, 2020

The University of Illinois at Chicago has received $5.9 million from the National Institute of Mental Health for two studies that will use cognition data to predict relapses in mood disorders.

Mood disorders are one of the highest contributors of disability in the world, said UICs Dr. Olusola Ajilore, associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program at the College of Medicine. Despite successful treatment of mood disorder in patients, cognitive disturbances can persist and are highly associated with relapses.

The first study called REMBRANDT, for Recurrence Markers, Cognitive Burden, and Neurobiological Homeostasis in Late-Life Depression will focus on adults who have late-life depression, a mood disorder characterized by major depressive episodes that occur for the first time after the age of 60.

Regardless of treatment success, studies show that 60% of older adults with late-life depression will have a relapse within four years, Ajilore said.

To understand how late-life depression relapses develop, the study will monitor older adults in remission for two years. During the study period, the participants will undergo two-week cycles of data collection every eight months. Through clinical appointments, the researchers will assess participants for mood, psychological states and cognition. Participants brain connectivity also will be tracked using structural and functional neuroimaging, via MRI.

Tolerability And Side Effects

University of Pittsburgh Depression Study: Risk and Resilience

Deep propofol anesthesia was well tolerated. Some hypotension was expected given the doses administered, but blood pressure was usually well managed with IV fluids and Trendelenburg positioning. Pressors were typically not needed, but small doses were given occasionally, as used routinely during general anesthesia . During the recovery phase, participants reported neutral or mildly pleasant drug effects on the 5-item Drug Effects Questionnaire . No pressors or other medications were needed during recovery. The most commonly reported side effects were sore throat and discomfort at the IV site nausea was uncommon . One subject reported double vision, which resolved during recovery after each treatment. No pain was reported. All side effects were described as mild and temporary. No treatment was interrupted due to adverse effects, no participant left the trial early, and no serious adverse events occurred.

Cognitive function did not change substantially during the trial. MoCA total scores improved slightly from 27.7±1.9 at baseline to 28.9±1.0 at the mid-series time point and 29.1±0.9 at the post-series time point. No participant experienced postprocedure delirium or reported subjective memory problems due to the treatments.

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Depression At Altitude Study

Depression Study Details

We are recruiting persons between the ages of 25 40 years old who have depression. In order to qualify for the study, you must be taking a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor antidepressant medication but still not feeling better.

What Is The Name Of The Study?

31P-MRS and resting state functional connectivity analysis of the effects of 5-hydroxytryptophan and creatine for antidepressant augmentation in patients with SSRI/SNRI-resistant major depressive disorder

What Is Depression?

Depression is often a combination of symptoms that interfere with a persons everyday life and can prevent a person from functioning normally. Depression can interfere with sleeping, eating, and enjoying activities. Sometimes depression will occur once in a persons life, but more often it keeps coming back throughout a persons life. People suffering from depression are often prescribed antidepressants for treatment. Sometimes these medications do not help.

What is the purpose of the study?

Who Can Be In The Study?

The following criteria must be met to be in the study:

  • Diagnosis of depression and currently feeling depressed
  • Between the ages of 25 and 40 years
  • Currently taking an SSRI or SNRI medication for at least 8 weeks
  • Willing to sign a permission form to be in the study
  • You are comfortable with an MRI scan

What Are The Benefits Of Being In The Study?

What Do I Have To Do If I Am In The Study?

Comparison With Ect Patients

Self-reported depressive symptoms were measured with the QIDS-SR just prior to each propofol treatment session. Because the QIDS-SR was collected from ECT patients in the same way during routine clinical care, we were able to compare depression ratings between propofol participants and an ECT comparison group . The comparison group did not differ significantly from the propofol group with respect to baseline QIDS-SR score , age , sex , diagnosis , or body mass index . For both the propofol group and the ECT comparison group, average QIDS-SR scores began in the severe range at treatment 1 and decreased steadily toward the mild-to-moderate range by treatment 10 .

Change in self-reported depressive symptoms with propofol vs electroconvulsive therapy . Total score on the self-rated 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology is shown during a series of 10 propofol treatments . Subjects completed the QIDS-SR just before each treatment session. QIDS-SR total score is shown for a comparison group of patients who received a series of 10 ECT treatments .

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University Of Utah Research Shows High Altitude Linked To Depression And Suicidal Thoughts

Everyone seems to have the same question about Utahs suicide rate: Why is it so high?

The answer remains elusive and complex. But a new report offers some clarity, finding the Beehive States high altitude may play a role.

Growing evidence, based on large data sets, suggests that altitude of residence is specifically associated with increased risk of suicide and depression, conclude a trio of University of Utah researchers, who recently published their review of medical literature in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry. They found altitude also may make popular antidepressants less effective.

Experts suggest many factors play into the states high suicide rate, from widespread gun ownership, to a stoic cowboy mentality that is common in some rural Western communities, to the influence of religion.

Last year, Utah hired a researcher, Michael Staley, to dig into whats behind the problem, part of an effort to develop better prevention programs.But it appears at least one leading driver behind Utahs suicide rate which ranked fifth in the nation in 2016 is simply the mountainous geography.

Low atmospheric pressure at altitude causes declining blood oxygen levels. This affects the bodys levels of serotonin, the chemical that helps regulate mood, the U. researchers wrote, adding that lower oxygen also impairs energy flows through our brains.

Our sense is that every study that has looked at this association in a scientific, rigorous fashion has found it, Kious said.

What Are The Benefits Of Being In The Study

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We hope that creatine and one-on-one clinical attention will benefit you and that your depression will improve. There may also be benefits to society, called indirect benefits. The study may help doctors understand depression in methamphetamine users so future patients will receive better treatment.

This study may help doctors understand if creatine is more effective for female methamphetamine users with depression compared to no treatment.

You will have your brain scanned twice in the study these brain scans may help doctors understand how methamphetamine affects the brain and if taking creatine results in any brain changes.

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