Free Republic

An already registered antidepressant, duloxetine, may also have positive effects on memory and cognitive functions in the elderly. A new study shows that duloxetine, in addition to treating depression, also inhibits an enzyme involved in the regulation of the nervous system that affects memory and cognition. This could potentially prevent the development of dementia diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease. "Both depression and cognitive impairment often occur simultaneously in elderly individuals, particularly those in the early stages of a dementia disease," says Taher Darreh-Shori. "The discovery that duloxetine can have a dual effect is very promising." "This has been an unexpected discovery...

Most antidepressants used for chronic pain are being prescribed with "insufficient" evidence of their effectiveness, scientists have warned. A major investigation into medications used to manage long-term pain has found that harms of many of the commonly recommended drugs have not been well studied. Among the drugs studied were amitriptyline, fluoxetine, citalopram, paroxetine, sertraline, and duloxetine—with only the latter showing reliable evidence for pain relief. Professor Tamar Pincus said, "This is a global public health concern. Chronic pain is a problem for millions who are prescribed antidepressants without sufficient scientific proof they help, nor an understanding of the long-term impact...

<p>A toxicology test will determine whether narcotics played a role in the suicide of a 19-year-old woman who was participating in clinical trials for a new drug that Eli Lilly and Co. hopes to launch this year.</p> <p>Traci Johnson, Bensalem, Pa., hanged herself Saturday night in the Lilly Laboratory for Clinical Research by tying a scarf to a bathroom shower rod, according to the Indianapolis Police Department.</p>