SAN DIEGO — Research released today reveals new mechanisms and areas of the brain associated with anxiety and depression, presenting possible targets to understand and treat these debilitating mental illnesses. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2013, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.
More than 350 million people worldwide suffer from clinical depression and between 5 and 25 percent of adults suffer from generalized anxiety, according to the World Health Organization. The resulting emotional and financial costs to people, families, and society are significant. Further, antidepressants are not always effective and often cause severe side effects.
Today's new findings show that:
Other recent findings discussed show that:
"Today's findings represent our rapidly growing understanding of the individual molecules and brain circuits that may contribute to depression and anxiety," said press conference moderator Lisa Monteggia, PhD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, an expert on mechanisms of antidepressant action. "These exciting discoveries represent the potential for significant changes in how we diagnose and treat these illnesses that touch millions."
This research was supported by national funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, as well as private and philanthropic organizations. Find more information about depression and anxiety at BrainFacts.org .