Depression and Inflammation Masterclass

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Charles Raison, MD, returns to the Psychcast this week to give a Masterclass lecture on the bidirectional relationship between inflammation and depression. There are links to relevant research below.

We caught up with Dr. Raison at the AACP Psychiatry Update conference in Chicago. He discusses incorporating the science of inflammation into the pharmacologic treatment of depression. He addresses research suggesting that while depression as a whole isn’t an inflammatory condition, inflammation may be a depressive subtype. He also covered how inflammation might affect treatment.

You can listen to Dr. Raison's take-home messages by skipping to (19:45).

CHARLES RASION, M.D.

Dr. Raison is Mary Sue and Mike Shannon Chair for Healthy Minds, Children, & Families and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the School of Human Ecology as well as Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.

Dr. Raison previously appeared on Psychast in a two-part lecture on ketamine. In episode 14, Dr. Raison talked on ketamine and PTSD and in episode 15, he talked about ketamine and depression. You can find those episodes by clicking the links below:

Psychcast Episode 14: Charles Raison, MD, Ketamine & PTSD.

Psychcast Episode 15: Charles Raison, MD, Ketamine & depression.

Relevant Research:

Use these links to find more on this Masterclass.

Rong, Carola, et al. Predictors of Response to Ketamine in Treatment Resistant Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Apr 17:15(4): doi: 10.3390/ijerph15040771.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29673146

Savitz, JB et al. Treatment of Bipolar Depression With Minocycline and/or aspirin: an adaptive, 2x2 double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase II-A clinical trial. Transl Psychiatry. 2018 Jan 24;8(1):27. doi: 10.1038/s41398-017-0073-7.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29362444

Raison, et al. A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Antagonist Infliximab in Treatment Resistant Depression: Role of Baseline Inflammatory Biomarkers. JAMA Psychiatry. 2013 Jan;70(1):31-41.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4015348/

Miller AH, Raison CL. Are Anti-inflammatory Therapies Viable Treatments for Psychiatric Disorders?: Where the Rubber Meets the Road. JAMA Psychiatry. 2015 Jun; 72(6): 527–528.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5542670/

Adzic M, et al. Therapeutic Strategies for Treatment of Inflammation-related Depression. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2018 Jan 30;16(2):176-209.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5883379/

How to Listen

Podcast Participants

^{Lorenzo Norris, MD}

Lorenzo Norris, MD, is host of the MDedge Psychcast, editor in chief of MDedge Psychiatry, and assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at George Washington University, Washington. He also serves as assistant dean of student affairs at the university, and medical director of psychiatric and behavioral sciences at GWU Hospital. Dr. Lorenzo Norris has no conflicts of interest.

^{Renee Kohanski, MD}

Renée S. Kohanski, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist with additional training in forensic psychiatry. She has been a board examiner for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and has enjoyed a broad-based practice in academic, community, and forensic psychiatry. She is currently a solo practitioner and owner of RK Psychiatry Associates and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of MDEdge Psychiatry. Talkers magazine describes Dr. Kohanski as “one of the most reliable ‘go-to’ sources for insights and information about psychiatry in the media today.” Dr. Renée Kohanski has no conflicts of interest.