The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has recommended that the appetite suppressant sibutramine, should no longer be prescribed by doctors. People taking sibutramine should see their doctor to discuss an alternative, although it is safe to stop taking the drug in the meantime if they wish. The regulator has been conducting a review of safety and has concluded the increased risks of heart attacks and strokes do not outweigh the benefits.

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A new study provides insight into the molecular characteristics that make a brain susceptible to anxiety and depression and less likely to respond to treatment with antidepressant medication. The research, published by Cell Press in the journal Neuron, may lead to more effective strategies for treating depression. Although brain mechanisms associated with depression are not completely clear, recent research has implicated a combination of stressful life events and predisposing biological factors.

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Magnetic stimulation therapy can beat depression when medication and therapy haven’t worked, according to the December issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. The therapy, called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), involves using brief powerful electromagnetic pulses to alter brain activity. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the therapy for patients whose depression hasn’t improved with medications — estimated to be from 10 to 20 percent of those with the illness.

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A new study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggests that depressed patients are unable to sustain activity in brain areas related to positive emotion. The study challenges previous notions that individuals with depression show less brain activity in areas associated with positive emotion. Instead, the new data suggest similar initial levels of activity, but an inability to sustain them over time. The work was reported online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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