Psychiatry News and Research

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

Mindfulness training helps alleviate depressive symptoms in disadvantaged African-American women

African-American women with lower socio-economic status have an increased risk of depressive disorders, yet they rarely seek out antidepressants or psychotherapy because of negative attitudes and stigma associated with conventional mental health treatments.

16 Aug 2016

Study reveals 1 in 3 people experience depression symptoms after ICU stay

A so-called meta-analysis of reports on more than 4,000 patients suggests that almost one in three people discharged from hospital intensive care units (ICUs) has clinically important and persistent symptoms of depression, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

16 Aug 2016

Study offers clues about how genetic mutations can increase risk of psychiatric disorders

Brain scans have revealed how a genetic mutation linked to major psychiatric disorders affects the structure, function and chemistry of the brain.

16 Aug 2016

Aerobic exercise can improve brain functioning in schizophrenia patients

Aerobic exercise can significantly help people coping with the long-term mental health condition schizophrenia, according to a new study from University of Manchester researchers.

12 Aug 2016

Treating metabolic abnormalities may improve symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant depression

Identifying and treating metabolic deficiencies in patients with treatment-resistant depression can improve symptoms and in some cases even lead to remission, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine published online today in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

12 Aug 2016

Scientists activate neurons in the mouse brain by injecting virus containing light-sensitive proteins

Neurons that fire together really do wire together, says a new study in Science, suggesting that the three-pound computer in our heads may be more malleable than we think.

11 Aug 2016

Novel PET radiotracer reveals epigenetic activity in the human brain for the first time

A novel PET radiotracer developed at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital is able for the first time to reveal epigenetic activity - the process that determines whether or not genes are expressed - within the human brain.

11 Aug 2016

New research examines link between alcohol use and unprotected sex among young women

It may come as little surprise that alcohol use is widespread among young adults. In the U.S., 70 percent of adults aged 18 to 24 drink alcohol, with 40 percent of women imbibing over the recommended daily limit of 3 drinks per day.

11 Aug 2016

Video selfies of tooth-brushing can help improve oral health care techniques, study shows

Recording smart phone video "selfies" of tooth-brushing can help people learn to improve their oral health care techniques, according to a new study.

10 Aug 2016

New study suggests increased levels of hypocretin in the brain may play role in cocaine addiction

A new study from scientists at The Scripps Research Institute, funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, suggests that increased levels of a molecule in the brain, called hypocretin, may contribute to cocaine addiction.

10 Aug 2016

Scientists explore neurobiological factors contributing to schizophrenia

Schizophrenic psychoses are a frequently occurring group of psychiatric disorders caused by a combination of biological, social and environmental factors.

10 Aug 2016

Study finds reduced activity of ACMSD enzyme in people with suicidal behavior

It is known that people who have attempted suicide have ongoing inflammation in their blood and spinal fluid. Now, a collaborative study from research teams in the U.S., Sweden and Australia published in Translational Psychiatry shows that suicidal patients have a reduced activity of an enzyme that regulates inflammation and its byproducts.

10 Aug 2016

College students who misuse stimulant medications more likely to exhibit clinical psychiatric dysfunction

A new study by Massachusetts General Hospital investigators finds that college students who misuse stimulant drugs are more likely to have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder or substance-use disorder than are students not misusing stimulants.

8 Aug 2016

Activation of specific neural circuit can inhibit binge-like eating behavior in mice

While binge eating affects about 10 percent of adults in the United States, the neurobiological basis of the disease is unclear.

8 Aug 2016

Researchers find differences between the brains of criminal and non-criminal psychopaths

A strong focus on reward combined with a lack of self-control appears to be linked to the tendency to commit an offence.

8 Aug 2016

European Union may be catching up to the United States in nonmedical prescription drug abuse

There is a high rate of prescription pain reliever abuse in Europe, largely accounted by opioids, according to the first comparative study of prescription drug abuse in the European Union, which was conducted by researchers at RTI International and published in BMC Psychiatry.

5 Aug 2016

Study shows striking differences in white matter volume between obese individuals and lean people

From middle-age, the brains of obese individuals display differences in white matter similar to those in lean individuals ten years their senior, according to new research led by the University of Cambridge.

4 Aug 2016

Study reveals alterations in silent synapses could trigger drug-related memories in addiction

In addiction, cues in the environment can form strong associations with the drug of abuse. A new study in Biological Psychiatry suggests that alterations in silent synapses, inactive connections between neurons, could be the neural mechanism underlying the formation of these drug-related memories.

3 Aug 2016

Lower weight late in life linked to greater risk for Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital have found an association between lower weight and more extensive deposits of the Alzheimer's-associated protein beta-amyloid in the brains of cognitively normal older individuals.

2 Aug 2016

UTA researchers find how changing estrogen levels make women more vulnerable to cocaine addiction

Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington are studying how fluctuating estrogen levels make females increasingly sensitive to the rewarding effects of cocaine and ultimately, vulnerable to cocaine addiction.

2 Aug 2016

Psychiatry News and Research

Further Reading

Mindfulness training helps alleviate depressive symptoms in disadvantaged African-American women

Study reveals 1 in 3 people experience depression symptoms after ICU stay

Study offers clues about how genetic mutations can increase risk of psychiatric disorders

Aerobic exercise can improve brain functioning in schizophrenia patients

Treating metabolic abnormalities may improve symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant depression

Scientists activate neurons in the mouse brain by injecting virus containing light-sensitive proteins

Novel PET radiotracer reveals epigenetic activity in the human brain for the first time

New research examines link between alcohol use and unprotected sex among young women

Video selfies of tooth-brushing can help improve oral health care techniques, study shows

New study suggests increased levels of hypocretin in the brain may play role in cocaine addiction

Scientists explore neurobiological factors contributing to schizophrenia

Study finds reduced activity of ACMSD enzyme in people with suicidal behavior

College students who misuse stimulant medications more likely to exhibit clinical psychiatric dysfunction

Activation of specific neural circuit can inhibit binge-like eating behavior in mice

Researchers find differences between the brains of criminal and non-criminal psychopaths

European Union may be catching up to the United States in nonmedical prescription drug abuse

Study shows striking differences in white matter volume between obese individuals and lean people

Study reveals alterations in silent synapses could trigger drug-related memories in addiction

Lower weight late in life linked to greater risk for Alzheimer's disease

UTA researchers find how changing estrogen levels make women more vulnerable to cocaine addiction

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