Abortion drug could rapidly treat depression

A hormone treatment used to induce abortion could provide a rapid-acting treatment for depression.

The drug, called RU486, was one of two new rapid treatment strategies, revealed on Sunday at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies' annual meeting in Vienna, Austria.

Most antidepressants are thought to work by raising levels of the signalling chemical serotonin, which acts in the brain. But these drugs can take several weeks to take effect. The new treatments could be effective within days or even hours.

The hormone treatment is based on earlier findings that stress plays a major part in triggering and prolonging depression. Stress hormones appear to damage a part of the brain called the hippocampus. The region is susceptible because it is particularly rich in hormone receptors, allowing it to regulate ongoing hormone release.

Full Story Here