Inflammation Testing and Antidepressant Selection

Peter ForsterBest Practices, Major Depression, Physical Conditions and Health, Testing Leave a Comment

Inflammation and C Reactive Protein Inflammation is often seen in people with depression. And there is evidence to suggest that it predicts treatment response. The most widely accepted standard test to measure inflammation is the C-reactive protein, or CRP. This is a protein that is produced by the liver in inflammatory states. The American Heart Association and the Centers for …

Depression, Anhedonia, Glutamate, and Inflammation

Peter ForsterBasic Science, Major Depression, Psychobiology

That depression may be linked to alterations in glutamate circuits is suggested by the observation that ketamine (which is an NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist) may rapidly reverse depression in some patients. Depression has also been found to be associated in some people with various markers for inflammation (c reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor, interleukin 1 beta, and interleukin 6). As …

Escitalopram Reduces Inflammation in Depression

Peter ForsterMajor Depression, Physical Conditions and Health, Psychobiology, Treatments of Depression

Escitalopram reduces inflammation in depression and potentially reduces neurotoxicity according to an article just published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. A pro-inflammatory tendence has previously been noted in patients with depression, and this seems to be associated strongly with increases in kynurenine (see below for more information on how exercise counteracts this tendency). Kynurenine is the first step in …

Simple Test May Predict Which Antidepressant Will Work

adminTreatments of Depression

A simple laboratory test may predict which antidepressant will work best. This is the result of a study reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry by a team of Canadian and European researchers. The study was part of larger research program (Genome-Based Therapeutic Drugs for Depression – an effort to find biomarkers to guide medication selection) and it identified C-reactive …