Depression impairs ability to learn ‘good things in life’

October 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - An organised phone-based cognitive behavioural psychotherapy soon after starting on antidepressant medication can help treat depression easily, the effects of which is believed to persist for at least two years after first session, say researchers. Organized phone therapy for depression has also been found cost-effective with only modest rises.

September 30th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The ability to manipulate songbird genes may yield secrets of vocal learning and how nerve cells (neurons) are replaced. For the first time, researchers have devised a way to alter the genes of the zebra finch, one of a handful of social animals that learn to "speak" by imitating their fellows.

September 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Hairstylists could be of great help to steer their elderly clients to needed health services, for according to a study such clients often or always shared their problems during appointments. Over 80 percent of 40 Columbus-area stylists surveyed said that older clients shared their problems with them.

August 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Depression among preschoolers is not a transient developmental stage, but may even continue into childhood, according to a report. Researchers have said that depression among preschoolers is rather a continuous, chronic condition.

July 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has shown that squirrels quickly learn by watching their peers. In the study, Dr Lisa Leaver of the University of Exeter and her colleagues tested grey squirrels' ability to learn to choose between two pots of food after watching another squirrel remove a nut from one of the pots.

July 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Diets high in fructose - a type of sugar found in most processed foods and beverages - could impair spatial memory, says a study on adult rats. To reach the conclusion, Amy Ross, a graduate student in the lab of Marise Parent, associate professor at Georgia State's Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, fed a group of Sprague-Dawley rats a diet where fructose represented 60 percent of calories ingested during the day.

July 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - People who make sure that their lives are filled with frequent moments of positive emotions, tend to have increased resilience against challenges, according to a new study by researchers at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Barbara Fredrickson and her colleagues have suggested that people should build on a daily diet of positive emotions to ensure increased levels of life satisfaction.

June 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - While it is known that chronic pain and depression go hand in hand, a new study has shown that the link between pain and depression is strongest in middle-age women. For the study, researchers at Wayne State University examined a representative community sample of 1,100 Michigan residents and found that the incidence of chronic pain, defined as pain persisting for six months, was 22 percent.

June 12th, 2009 Rep. Parick Kennedy again receiving treatmentWASHINGTON — Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who has struggled with addiction and depression for much of his life, has checked into an undisclosed medical facility for treatment.

June 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A University of Missouri researcher says that there is an ever-widening gap between what humans can naturally learn and what they need to learn to be successful adults in today's modern society. David Geary, Curators' Professor of Psychological Sciences in the MU College of Arts and Science, says that schools might have helped bridge the gap between evolution and new knowledge, but more may need to be done.

April 26th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Be it parents or teachers, all of them often ask one question-Why don't students like school? Now, a psychologist has tried to answer the question in a new book. Aptly titled "Why Don't Students like School?" the book by Daniel Willingham, a University of Virginia cognitive psychologist explains how the mind works - and what it means for the classroom.

April 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Natalie Imbruglia has revealed that there is a depressive side to her and she used it for her role in new flick 'Closed for Winter'. Imbruglia, who plays a woman suffering from mood disorders in the flick, revealed that in real life too she tends to go into depression and it is actually a 'family trait'.

February 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Anti-social behaviour among girls and anxiety among both boys and girls of first and second grade brought on depression in early adolescence. 'Anti-social behaviour has typically been viewed as a big problem among boys, so it tends to be ignored among girls, said James Mazza, University of Washington (UW) professor of educational psychology and co-author of the new study.

February 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - 'Major' depression is a severe and widespread psychiatric disorder which is on way to becoming a killer disease worldwide. However, despite extensive investigations, the exact mechanisms that lead to major depression or MD have not been identified.

January 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are nearly twice as likely to be depressed as diabetics. Dutch researchers compared the health characteristics of 999 patients with COPD, 978 patients with diabetes, and 2,494 healthy control subjects.