Depression, characterized by persistent sadness, hopelessness and a lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities, is one of the most common mental health disorders. Recent estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) suggest that approximately 5% of the global population suffers from depression.

For decades, researchers have been trying to devise safe and effective treatments for depression that cause minimal or no side effects. This led to the introduction of a wide range of treatment strategies, ranging from psychotherapy and alternative medicine to a wide range of pharmacological drugs, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and atypical antidepressants.

Most people diagnosed with depression eventually find a suitable treatment for them via a trial-and-error process, ultimately leading to their recovery. Some individuals, however, can experience severe depression for prolonged periods of time, finding that no treatment ultimately eases their symptoms.

Purpose Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common primary tumor entities that develop brain metastases (BM) during disease progression. Multiple BM are associated with poorer prognosis, but various surgical, radiotherapeutic and systemic treatment approaches improve survival. We aimed to identify prognostic factors and evaluate the overall survival following BM surgery in patients with multiple BCBM. Methods All metachronous metastasized female patients with resected BCBM at our institution between 2008 and 2019 were included. Data on clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic parameters were recorded and analyzed using univariate and multivariate regression models. Results Among the 93 patients included in the final analysis, 30 individuals presented with multiple BM. Compared to patients with single BM, those with multiple BM were more likely to have infratentorial BM (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–10.83, p = 0.044), HER2(human epidermal growth factor receptor 2)-positive BC (aOR 3.93, 95% CI 1.23–12.53, p = 0.021) and hepatic metastases (aOR 5.86, 95% CI 1.34–25.61, p = 0.019). There was no significant difference in postoperative survival between individuals with multiple (median: 12.5 months) and single BM (17.0 months, p = 0.186). In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, adjuvant radiotherapy (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 5.93, 95% CI 1.06–33.26, p = 0.043) and trastuzumab treatment (aHR 4.95, 95% CI 1.72–14.25, p = 0.003) were associated with longer postoperative survival multiple BCBM patients. Conclusion BC patients with multiple BM show remarkable postoperative survival, particularly if combined with adjuvant radiotherapy. Our data justify the surgery of multiple BCBM in patients with appropriate clinical condition and feasible location of BM.

The United States on Friday approved the first blood test for Alzheimer’s, a move that could help patients begin treatment earlier with newly approved drugs that slow the progression of the devastating neurological disease.

The test, developed by Fujirebio Diagnostics, measures the ratio of two proteins in the blood. The ratio is correlated with amyloid plaques in the brain—a hallmark of Alzheimer’s that, until now, has been detected only through brain scans or spinal fluid analysis.

“Alzheimer’s disease impacts too many people—more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined,” said Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary.