Psychiatry News and Research

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Psychiatry is the treatment, study and prevention of mental disorders.

‘Supportive touch’ experiences can help preterm infants in NICU respond better, research suggests

Treatment in the nation's Neonatal Intensive Care Units save millions of infants born prematurely every year. But this treatment is not without cost. Painful procedures such as needle pricks can impact early brain development.

22 Mar 2017

Study reveals link between tanning dependence and other addictive behaviors

Despite the known dangers of exposure to ultraviolet light, many people continue to sunbathe and use indoor tanning beds with some users exhibiting a dependence to tanning. A new study from the Yale School of Public Health finds that such dependence is also associated with other addictive behaviors.

21 Mar 2017

Study finds greater risk of suicide following initial episode of self-harm

New findings suggest that American adults who survive deliberate self-harm are at increased risk of suicide in the first year after such an event, indicating a need to direct clinical interventions in the critical 12 months following such episodes.

21 Mar 2017

Maternal infections during pregnancy may alter genes key to prenatal brain development

If a mother picks up an infection during pregnancy, her immune system will kick into action to clear the infection - but this self-defence mechanism may also have a small influence how her child's brain develops in the womb, in ways that are similar to how the brain develops in autism spectrum disorders.

21 Mar 2017

Structured interviews may be effective in identifying women at risk of postpartum depression

For non-depressed, pregnant women with histories of major depressive disorder, preventive treatment with antidepressants may not necessarily protect against postpartum depression, according to new UCLA research.

21 Mar 2017

Mouse study provides target for development of faster-acting antidepressant medications

Standard antidepressant medications don't work for everyone, and even when they do they are slow to kick in. In an effort to find better depression treatments, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine discovered that inhibiting an enzyme called Glyoxalase 1 (GLO1) relieves signs of depression in mice.

21 Mar 2017

Salk scientists develop new way to find responders to lithium therapy

For roughly one-third of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder, lithium is a miracle drug, effectively treating both their mania and depression. But once someone is diagnosed, it can take up to a year to learn whether that person will be among the 30 percent who respond to lithium or the 70 percent who do not.

21 Mar 2017

Study sheds light on cellular mechanisms that enable prostate cancer cells to form secondary tumours

New King's College London research sheds light on the cellular mechanisms which enable cancer cells to escape the prostate and spread to other parts of the body.

20 Mar 2017

Study finds little clinical benefit in placing nasogastric tube for treating upper GI bleeds

For many of the millions of patients treated annually in hospitals for upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, there is little value in placing a nasogastric (NG) tube in patients to determine the source of that bleeding or size of a lesion, report investigators in an article published online ahead of print on January 9, 2017 by the Journal of Investigative Medicine.

20 Mar 2017

Deep brain stimulation could be effective treatment option for patients with severe depressions

Treatment with deep brain stimulation can provide lasting relief to patients suffering from previously non-treatable, severe forms of depression several years into the therapy or even eliminate symptoms entirely.

20 Mar 2017

Penn study reveals new patterns of coordinated development in the brain during adolescence

Adolescence marks not only the period of physical maturation bridging childhood and adulthood, but also a crucial period for remodeling of the human brain.

17 Mar 2017

Mount Sinai researchers review progress made in using ketamine and other therapies to treat depression

Major depressive disorder (MDD) impacts 15 million Americans and is the leading cause of disability, yet current treatments possess limited efficacy.

17 Mar 2017

Drug or alcohol problems among veterans may increase risk of suicide, study finds

Veterans who have drug or alcohol problems are more than twice as likely to die by suicide as their comrades, a new study finds. And women veterans with substance use disorders have an even higher rate of suicide -- more than five times that of their peers, the research shows.

16 Mar 2017

Researchers identify underlying cause of obsessive-compulsive disorder

An overactive molecular signal pathway in the brain region of the amygdala can lead to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A research team from Würzburg has established this connection.

16 Mar 2017

2017 was another big year for Pittcon, as global attendance and economic impacts are revealed

Pittcon 2017 brought together members from the scientific community from around the world with leading speakers, instructors and exhibiting companies.

From Pittcon 16 Mar 2017

Blocking hypocretin signaling may provide new avenue for treating cocaine addiction, study suggests

The hypocretin/orexin (HCRT) system of the brain is best known for promoting wakefulness and appetite. A new paper in Biological Psychiatry suggests that blocking hypocretin signaling via the HCRT-1 receptor (HCRT-R1) might also reduce the appetite for cocaine.

16 Mar 2017

UCLA study finding holds promise to prevent progressive cognitive decline in children with brain injury

A new biological marker may help doctors identify children at risk of poor outcomes after a traumatic brain injury, UCLA scientists report in a preliminary study.

15 Mar 2017

Low levels of allopregnanolone hormone may predict risk of postpartum depression

In a small-scale study of women with previously diagnosed mood disorders, Johns Hopkins researchers report that lower levels of the hormone allopregnanolone in the second trimester of pregnancy were associated with an increased chance of developing postpartum depression in women already known to be at risk for the disorder.

14 Mar 2017

Scientists create first model of anorexia nervosa using iPSCs derived from adolescent females

An international research team, led by scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, has created the first cellular model of anorexia nervosa (AN), reprogramming induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from adolescent females with the eating disorder.

14 Mar 2017

Probiotics could be less effective when taken alongside balanced diet, research suggests

To combat the effects of a poor diet, probiotics may be just the thing. However, surprising new research from UNSW suggests probiotics are much less effective when taken alongside a balanced diet, and could even impair certain aspects of memory.

14 Mar 2017

Psychiatry News and Research

Further Reading

‘Supportive touch’ experiences can help preterm infants in NICU respond better, research suggests

Study reveals link between tanning dependence and other addictive behaviors

Study finds greater risk of suicide following initial episode of self-harm

Maternal infections during pregnancy may alter genes key to prenatal brain development

Structured interviews may be effective in identifying women at risk of postpartum depression

Mouse study provides target for development of faster-acting antidepressant medications

Salk scientists develop new way to find responders to lithium therapy

Study sheds light on cellular mechanisms that enable prostate cancer cells to form secondary tumours

Study finds little clinical benefit in placing nasogastric tube for treating upper GI bleeds

Deep brain stimulation could be effective treatment option for patients with severe depressions

Penn study reveals new patterns of coordinated development in the brain during adolescence

Mount Sinai researchers review progress made in using ketamine and other therapies to treat depression

Drug or alcohol problems among veterans may increase risk of suicide, study finds

Researchers identify underlying cause of obsessive-compulsive disorder

2017 was another big year for Pittcon, as global attendance and economic impacts are revealed

Blocking hypocretin signaling may provide new avenue for treating cocaine addiction, study suggests

UCLA study finding holds promise to prevent progressive cognitive decline in children with brain injury

Low levels of allopregnanolone hormone may predict risk of postpartum depression

Scientists create first model of anorexia nervosa using iPSCs derived from adolescent females

Probiotics could be less effective when taken alongside balanced diet, research suggests

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