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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : August 2, 2018 10:25 AM IST
Watch a comedy flick to lower your depression. © Shutterstock
Treatment resistant depression, one of the rarest kinds of depression occurring in about three out of 10 adults, that does not respond well to traditional treatments like antidepressants, psychotherapy or cognitive behavioural therapy, as per Mayo Clinic, is linked to levels of just one molecule in our body called acetyl-L-carnitine. That is exactly what a recent study from Harvard University has found. The study has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
This molecule is a kind of amino acid that aids in genes expression, specifically the ones linked to our neurotransmitters in the brain. While earlier this molecule has been used to treat age related memory loss, it has been found by the researchers that lower the level of this molecule in body, higher is the severity of the depression and lesser is the chance of any antidepressant to effectively act. Experts believe that although treating this kind of depression has been difficult till now, with the identification of this molecule, treatment will get easier.
This discovery is a major breakthrough for particularly women's mental health as scientists have observed that levels of acetyl-L-carnitine is an accurate indicator of treatment resistant depression among women.
This study has also opened new avenues for treating treatment resistant depression. It has been found that ketamine can be used as a potential drug as it efficiently works compared to other antidepressant or treatment.
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