Suicide Takes an Instant, but Anti-Depressive Therapy Takes a Lifetime

Biology Building, Room 101

Current drug therapy for depression can take weeks to months to help alleviate depression; sometimes this is too long and suicide is the result. A recent study show shows that ~25% of students surveyed at a university health center showed or expressed signs of depression with ~10% of these students expressing thoughts of suicide. A way must be developed that can act quickly to help relieve depression. The goal of this research is to utilize rat studies to better understand how different molecules in the brain, known as neurotransmitters, can be quickly increased or decreased by different drugs. This knowledge gives us insight into drug candidates that one day may quickly alleviate depression and thus, potentially curb some suicides. The three neurotransmitters we focus on are serotonin (5-HT), noradrenaline (NE), and γ aminobutyric acid (GABA). In these studies, two small probes are place into the brain of rats, who are allowed to freely move around and eat/drink. At different times, we place specific drugs into their brains and then monitor the 5-HT, NE, or GABA levels over specified periods of time.