Depression And Alzheimer's Treatments At A Crossroads

Short Wave

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4.7 • 6K Ratings

🗓️ 10 November 2022

⏱️ 12 minutes

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Summary

Researchers are launching a make-or-break study to test the conventional wisdom about what causes Alzheimer's disease. And in a recent small study, the antidepressant effects of ketamine lasted longer when an intravenous dose was followed with computer games featuring smiling faces or words aimed at boosting self-esteem. As science correspondent Jon Hamilton heads to the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting, he talks to Aaron Scott about his most recent reporting on depression and Alzheimer's, and previews what he'll be talking to researchers about at the meeting.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.
0:04.6	Hey there folks, Aaron Scott here with NPR Science Desk Brain Guy, Mr. John Hamilton.
0:11.6	Hello John.
0:12.6	Hey.
0:13.6	Thank you for stopping by.
0:14.6	I hear you've got a lot going on this week.
0:17.8	Oh I do Aaron.
0:19.5	This is a super busy week for me because on Saturday I will be heading to San Diego for
0:24.5	the Neuroscience 2022 meeting.
0:28.0	This is an annual conference run by the Society for Neuroscience and is really big.
0:32.8	Imagine a small city filled with brain scientists.
0:36.3	Sounds deliciously cerebral.
0:39.3	Total nerd fest.
0:41.1	And I mean these are my people.
0:42.5	And this year I am hoping to talk with some of these scientists about brain disorders that
0:47.2	are common but not that well understood.
0:50.8	So let me just mention a couple of them that I've been reporting on recently.
0:54.8	All timers and depression.
0:57.1	With Alzheimer's the question is whether most efforts to treat the disease in the past couple
1:01.0	of decades have been based on an idea that is just wrong.
1:05.2	And that idea is approaching its day of reckoning.
1:08.4	Wow.
	...

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