Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Postpartum treatment key for depression University of Toronto press release at EurekAlert - "The key to preventing postpartum depression may be individual support provided after birth by a health professional and tailored to a mother's needs, says a University of Toronto researcher. 'Health professionals want to identify pregnant women who may be at risk for postpartum depression in hopes of initiating preventive strategies,' says U of T nursing professor Cindy-Lee Dennis. 'But in my review of studies from around the world, I found no preventive effect of any strategy initiated before birth, including prenatal classes specifically targeting postpartum depression. It's not because the interventions are theoretically weak, but it's because compliance is low – women are busy and don't attend the classes.' "  
  

Size of brain structure could signal vulnerability to anxiety disorders Massachusetts General Hospital press release at EurekAlert - "The size of a particular structure in the brain may be associated with the ability to recover emotionally from traumatic events. A new study by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) finds that an area called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex is thicker in volunteers who appear better able to modify their anxious response to memories of discomfort. The report will appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science and has received early online release on the PNAS website."