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2004 FEB 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Exercise is known to help relieve stress, boost spirits and fight symptoms of depression. But can a regular exercise routine combined with targeted medications actually cure major depressive disorder?
University of Texas (UT) Southwestern researchers, partnering with the Cooper Institute in Dallas, hope to find an answer by studying how individuals treated with certain antidepressant medications respond to supervised exercise.
The study - funded by a $2.4 million, 4-year grant from the U.S. National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) - focuses on individuals taking selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, (SSRIs), who also participate in a 24-week exercise program. SSRIs are the most prescribed medications for depression and include such drugs as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and Celexa.
UT Southwestern researchers, headed by Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, associate professor of psychiatry, hope to determine if supervised exercise will help people being treated with antidepressant medications better combat their depression.
"The majority of people who start on an SSRI feel better after they begin treatment, but they still don't feel completely well or as good as they did before they became depressed," said Dr. Madhukar ...