New Delhi: Scientists have furnished a fact that a drug which is used to treat excessive daytime sleepiness may prove helpful for patients suffering with depression.
Researchers at University of Cambridge in the UK found that patients who received a dose of Modafinil experienced improvement in memory functions, compared to those on placebo.
Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Symptoms such as difficulty concentrating or indecisiveness contribute to the disability associated with depression.
Almost all patients with depression experience problems with concentration, memory and attention.
At least half of all patients with depression show cognitive deficits that can be measured objectively.
These deficits tend to persist in the recovery phase.
Patients with persistent cognitive problems have poorer outcomes such as impaired work functioning and increased risk for relapse.
Depression can be relapsing and return periodically, often for several months at a time.
Depression is associated with taking time off work, but also, in some cases, with 'presenteeism' in the workplace, where employees may not be able to work as well as usual.
People often feel distressed when they have difficulty achieving their previous level of work performance on return to work after experiencing depression.
However, currently available treatments do not specifically address cognitive deficits in depression.
Recent reports have highlighted the importance of defining cognition as a target for treatment in depression.
Researchers investigated the potential of modafinil to treat cognitive dysfunction in depression.
Modafinil has already been shown in other studies to have beneficial effects on cognitive function in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.
(With PTI inputs)
