#8 - Dr. Angela Reiersen: Depression, the Sigma 1 receptor and COVID-19

In this episode I speak with Psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Angela Reiersen about her recent publication in JAMA, "Fluvoxamine vs Placebo and Clinical Deterioration in Outpatients With Symptomatic COVID-19." We discuss: 

-How she stays focused and gets things done

-Her research on fluvoxamine (an antidepressant) and COVID-19

-Why we need to go beyond the serotonin receptor in depression

-What the sigma 1 receptor is, and why it matters

-How sigma 1 agonists may reduce inflammation

-The need for a wider view of antidepressant mechanisms

-The importance of the connection between inflammation and depression

-How understanding newmolecular patterns of depression opens the door to treatment

-The importance of executive function interventions for children

-How sleep may improve executive functions