Scientists have known for a long time that females react to infections differently than males, especially mood-wise. Researchers have been trying to figure out why. Now a new study shows that female mammals - rodents that is - react to the effects of an infection by producing more of a substance, called cytokines, in the brain yielding a “bad mood”–or a depressive-like behavior in a rat. The males did not suffer this effect.

Check out the University of Maryland study here.

New research on a surgical technique called Deep Brain Stimulation out of Toronto Western Hospital may be of interest to women suffering from severe depression. According to reports from Canadian news site CTV.ca, the researchers found that DBS relieves depression symptoms. Sixty percent of patients with Major Depressant Disorder Deep brain stimulation experienced decreased symptoms for at least one year.