UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute
Depression Research Home
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Depression is
an illness that can be treated. It stands as
one of the most common psychiatric disorders, and afflicts about one in eight people.
The World Health Organization ranks depression as one of the top causes of morbidity world wide,
and projects that by 2020, only heart disease will cause more disease burden globally.
Our research program is focused on how we can improve treatments for depression. To that end, many of our projects examine how brain function differs when a person is depressed, how it changes when a person is being treated, and how this information might be used to provide more effective care. Our group is the first to report that the magnitude of changes in brain function after one week of treatment with medication can predict how much improvement a person is likely to experience after eight weeks of treatment. You can read the press release here and the full article is published in the July 2002 issue of Neuropsychopharmacology. Information about our ongoing research projects available online. (View one of our current fliers) The National Institute of Mental Health has provided an online list of symptoms of depression. If you would like to participate in our research and live in the Los Angeles area, please call us at (310) 825-3351. |
Acknowledgements: Our research in depression has been supported by grants from the NIMH, the National Institute of Mental Health, from NARSAD, the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression, and from the West Coast College of Biological Psychiatry. Additional research support over the years has been received from Eli Lilly and Company, Wyeth, Pfizer, Pharmacia, Merck & Company, Aspect Medical Systems, and from anonymous private donors.