Music Therapy is Effective for Depression Treatment

With origins believed to date back as early as Aristotle and Plato, music therapy has become an alternative to traditional cognitive and behavioral therapies.  Michigan State University developed the first college curriculum in 1944 in response to a positive impact music therapy had on veterans of WWI and WWII. Music therapy successes are based on the utilization of creative lyrics, in addition to harmony, to stimulate the senses of a patient. In doing so, music therapy provides an impact to the physical, cognitive, emotion and social well-being. More recently, music therapy has begun to incorporate into the treatment of eating disorders, ADHD and...

Can St. John's Wort replace Prozac for Depression Treatment?

The extract from St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), a bushy, wild-growing plant with yellow flowers, has been used for centuries in many folk and herbal remedies. Today in Europe, it is used extensively to treat mild to moderate depression. In the United States, it is one of the top–selling botanical products.Historical St. John's Wort ApplicationsThe historical use of medical St. John's wort is well documented. Commencing 2400 years ago St. John's wort was used as a nerve tonic, a painkiller for arthritis, menstrual cramping, gastrointestinal problems (such as diarrhea and nausea) as well as ulcers.The ancient Greeks and Romans used...

The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)

The CES-D scale is a short self-report scale designed to measure depressive symptomatology in the general population. The items of the scale are symptoms associated with depression which have been used in previously validated longer scales. The scale was tested in household interview surveys and in psychiatric settings. It was found to have very high internal consistency and adequate test- retest repeatability. Validity was established by pat terns of correlations with other self-report measures, by correlations with clinical ratings of depression, and by relationships with other variables which support its construct validity. Reliability, validity, and factor structure were similar across a wide variety of demographic characteristics in the general population samples tested. The scale should...

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) - Antidepressants for Major Depression

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are one of the oldest classes of antidepressants and are typically used when other antidepressants have not been effective. They are used less frequently because they often interact with certain foods and require strict dietary restrictions. MAOIs can also result in severe adverse reactions if taken with many other medicines, including some over-the-counter cough and cold remedies. MAOIs are mostly used for atypical depression. A newer type of MAOI called moclobemide is slightly different to the older MAOIs. It is considered to be a safer choice than the older MAOIs, as it requires fewer dietary restrictions...

Neuroreasons for Clinical Depression by Charles Nemeroff

Charles Nemeroff, a writer for Scientific America, states both decreased activity of a neurotransmitter, as well as overactivity of a hormonal system, can lead to severe depression and, concurrently, suicide. Neurotransmitters travel between neurons, or nerve cells, in order to perform functions vital to life. Nemeroff states norepinephrine and serotonin, both monoamine type neurotransmitters, are natural anti-depressants. In order to understand the way these monoamines affect human biological make-up, it is necessary to have a brief understanding of the way neurotransmitters work.Between two neurons lies a small gap called the synapse. Neurotransmitters...