Viagra Benefits Women on Antidepressants: Study

Psilocybin dampens areas of brain linked to depression, studies suggest

(NEWSER) - Far out. Hallucinogenic mushrooms' effect on the human brain may provide valuable clues for scientists seeking treatments for depression. Two studies into the effects of psilocybin, the active ingredient in "magic mushrooms," reveal that it suppresses activity in the same areas of the brain dampened by anti-depressant treatments, reports Reuters . "Psychedelics are thought of as 'mind-expanding' drugs so it has commonly been assumed that they work by increasing brain activity," said a researcher at Imperial College London, who discussed the studies . But they actually decrease activity in certain areas, including the medial prefrontal cortex, which is known to be hyperactive in depression. More»

Controversial change to criteria is under review

(NEWSER) - Doctors are considering what would be a controversial change to the definition of depression, reports the New York Times . For the first time, the official criteria to determine who gets diagnosed would include grief. Doctors who oppose the move say grief after the death of a loved is a perfectly normal process that would get stigmatized by the move. “This would pathologize them for behavior previously thought to be normal," says one opponent. It also could result in lots of people getting unnecessary drug treatments, say foes. More»

Growing darkness depresses, so you need to keep upbeat

(NEWSER) - The increasingly short and dark days of winter can make many people feel depressed this time of year, and Daylight Saving Time only makes things worse. So to help people out, Time offers eight tips to keep your spirits up:

• Socializing and exercising. OK, not exactly what you crave when you're feeling depressed, but forcing yourself to be active and meet people can really turn your mood around.

And he's 10 years older than we thought: WikiLeaks telegram

(NEWSER) - Saudi Arabia’s king isn’t letting age slow him down—even if he’s a decade older than the US thought he was. Even at 92, he hadn’t given up on romance, though he needed a little boost from Viagra, a WikiLeaks release shows. The US State Department telegram from 2008 says King Abdullah was born in 1916; at the time of the telegram, he remained a smoker and got regular hormone shots, it said. More»

Mania, depression may help leaders through crises

(NEWSER) - People often complain about the madness of America's leaders in Washington—but what if that madness is actually a good thing? After looking at famous leaders from Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King, Dr. Nassir Ghaemi has concluded that being manic or depressed often makes for better leaders, reports NPR . "Historians have often not paid much attention to these features of their lives; they've just written them off as irrelevant to their leadership," said Ghaemi. "I wanted to show that these symptoms not only were present in their lives, but were relevant to their leadership." More»