depression

Four months ago, a multidisciplinary care team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center treated a patient with lifelong major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) — conditions that left her debilitated with intrusive thoughts, constant fear, suicidal intent and anorexia.

Backed by nearly $5 million in funding, researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center are testing to see whether transdermal nicotine patches can improve mood, forgetfulness and attentiveness in adults over 60 with a diagnosis of depression.

The Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction and Survivorship Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is following patients who have been hospitalized for COVID-19 over time to see if they develop long-term cognitive impairment, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

One-third of Tennessee parents with children ages 6-17 are worried their child has an undiagnosed mental health condition, a new poll from the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy found.

VUMC researchers are conducting a five-year multisite trial to explore potential methods for predicting which patients may have a worse course of depression or are most vulnerable to recurrent episodes.

Poorly functioning AMPARs have been linked to a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders including seizures, Alzheimer’s disease, major depression and autism spectrum disorder. Understanding how AMPARs are formed and operate is essential for the rational design of pharmacological compounds that, by tuning AMPAR activity up or down, could improve treatment of these conditions.

Researchers at VUMC have taken a major step that could ultimately facilitate development of a new class of antidepressants which may relieve symptoms more rapidly and effectively and with fewer side effects than current medications.