Science

Emory Study Connects Dots Between Inflammation and Depression

September 10th, 2012

A drug used to treat inflammatory disease like rheumatoid arthritis may help those with difficult-to-treat depression, according to newly-published research from Emory University.

Emory’s Dr. Andrew Miller says previous studies have shown a link between inflammation and depression.

“If we cause inflammation in individuals, they become depressed,” says Miller. ”The next piece of the puzzle is if we block inflammation in people with high inflammation, they become less-depressed.”

To test the theory, thirty random patients got a placebo. Thirty more got the drug inflixihmanb. Those who had high inflammation and received the drug showed less depression.

Miller says what’s equally promising is that doctors can use a simple blood test to see if patients will likely respond to the treatment.

Side effects were minimal, but the drug is expensive at more than $20,000 a year.

The findings are published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.