Psychiatry News and Research

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

Researchers explore effects of attention bias modification in adolescents with MDD

A study to be published in the March 2016 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports that adolescents with major depression who performed a computer-based task designed to shift attention from sad to neutral to positive word associations showed reductions in negative attention biases and clinician-rated depressive symptoms.

25 Feb 2016

Fetal alcohol exposure results in permanent fragmentation in slow-wave sleep

Slow-wave sleep - the deeper sleep during which the brain turns each day's events into permanent memories - is fragmented in adulthood in people exposed to high levels of alcohol in the womb.

25 Feb 2016

CISCRP's first international AWARE for All event to be held in London

The Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation is pleased to announce that its first international AWARE for All event will be held in the UK on 7 March, 2016 from 17:00 to 20:00 at London's Camden Centre on Euston Road.

22 Feb 2016

UCLA-led researchers identify specific gene network that promotes repair in peripheral nervous system

Whether or not nerve cells are able to regrow after injury depends on their location in the body. Injured nerve cells in the peripheral nervous system, such as those in the arms and legs, can recover and regrow, at least to some extent. But nerve cells in the central nervous system -- the brain and spinal cord -- can't recover at all.

22 Feb 2016

Early intervention treatment at home, school can help young people with psychotic-like symptoms

Young people with mental problems - especially those with psychotic-like symptoms - should receive help as early as possible and in their own environment. This was the conclusion of a joint study of the University of Helsinki, the Helsinki University Hospital Department of Psychiatry and the National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland.

19 Feb 2016

FDA-approved Alzheimer's medications may help people quit smoking

Despite several safe drug therapies available to help smokers quit, three-quarters report relapsing within six months of a quit attempt. University of Pennsylvania researchers Rebecca Ashare and Heath Schmidt saw potential for a permanent cessation solution in a class of FDA-approved medications used to improve cognitive impairments from Alzheimer's disease.

19 Feb 2016

WRAIR begins Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate MERS vaccine candidate

The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research began vaccinations today in a Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immune response of a vaccine candidate to prevent Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

17 Feb 2016

AKT1 gene moderates mind-altering effects of smoking cannabis in young people

Researchers at the University of Exeter and UCL (University College London) have identified a gene which can be used to predict how susceptible a young person is to the mind-altering effects of smoking cannabis. The finding could help identify otherwise healthy users who are most at risk of developing psychosis.

17 Feb 2016

Misuse of Adderall drug rising among young adults, research suggests

While the number of prescriptions for the stimulant Adderall has remained unchanged among young adults, misuse and emergency room visits related to the drug have risen dramatically in this group, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

17 Feb 2016

Study shows bullied preemies more likely to develop mental health problems as adults

Babies born at an extremely low birth weight (ELBW) are miracles, but they are more likely to be bullied as children, and this can significantly increase their risk for mental health problems as adults.

17 Feb 2016

Researchers report first-ever link between noradrenergic neurons and vulnerability to depression

The team of Bruno Giros, a researcher at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and professor of psychiatry at McGill University, reports the first-ever connection between noradrenergic neurons and vulnerability to depression. Published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, this breakthrough paves the way for new depression treatments that target the adrenergic system.

15 Feb 2016

Immersive virtual reality therapy could help reduce depressive symptoms

An immersive virtual reality therapy could help people with depression to be less critical and more compassionate towards themselves, reducing depressive symptoms, finds a new study from UCL (University College London) and ICREA-University of Barcelona.

15 Feb 2016

Marijuana use among U.S. adults not as high as predicted before

Marijuana use is on the rise, with an estimated 12.5 percent of adults living in the United States reportedly using the drug at least once in 2013, according to a new study that looked at drug usage over the span of a decade.

12 Feb 2016

Study confirms no detectable difference when switching between generics

While approved generics are required to be equivalent to their brand-named counterparts in terms of active ingredients, some may wonder if a switch between generics could cause problems for someone who relies on daily medication to control a severe, chronic condition, like seizures.

12 Feb 2016

Modulation of opioid system may improve effectiveness of drugs for treatment-resistant depression

A clinical trial of an experimental drug for treatment-resistant major depression finds that modulation of the endogenous opioid system may improve the effectiveness of drugs that target the action of serotonin and related monoamine neurotransmitters.

12 Feb 2016

TAU research highlights neuroprotective potential of protein-protectant drug candidate SKIP

Activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP), essential for brain formation, is frequently mutated in children on the autism spectrum. In older men and women, ADNP expression in the blood is correlated with cognition and further altered in Alzheimer's disease.

11 Feb 2016

Review of EAS cases among patients with psychiatric conditions in the Netherlands

A review of euthanasia or assisted suicide (EAS) cases among patients with psychiatric disorders in the Netherlands found that most had chronic, severe conditions, with histories of attempted suicides and hospitalizations, and were described as socially isolated or lonely, according to an article published online by JAMA Psychiatry.

11 Feb 2016

Penn investigators explore new treatment option for cocaine dependence

In the ongoing fight against drug addiction, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's School of Nursing and Perelman School of Medicine have discovered a unique application for an FDA-approved drug currently used for obese patients and type 2 diabetics: treatment for cocaine dependence.

11 Feb 2016

Computerized cognitive rehabilitation can improve outcomes in brain injury survivors

For the first time, researchers have shown that computerized cognitive rehabilitation (a program to help brain-injured or otherwise cognitively impaired individuals to restore normal functioning) can improve attention and executive functioning in brain injury survivors including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke.

11 Feb 2016

Pregnancy may reduce PTSD symptoms in at-risk women

For most women, expecting a baby brings intense joy --and a fair amount of worry. But what about women who have lived through something awful enough to cause post-traumatic stress disorder? Contrary to what researchers expected, a new study shows that pregnancy may actually reduce their PTSD symptoms. Or at the least, it won't cause a flare-up.

11 Feb 2016

Psychiatry News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers explore effects of attention bias modification in adolescents with MDD

Fetal alcohol exposure results in permanent fragmentation in slow-wave sleep

CISCRP's first international AWARE for All event to be held in London

UCLA-led researchers identify specific gene network that promotes repair in peripheral nervous system

Early intervention treatment at home, school can help young people with psychotic-like symptoms

FDA-approved Alzheimer's medications may help people quit smoking

WRAIR begins Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate MERS vaccine candidate

AKT1 gene moderates mind-altering effects of smoking cannabis in young people

Misuse of Adderall drug rising among young adults, research suggests

Study shows bullied preemies more likely to develop mental health problems as adults

Researchers report first-ever link between noradrenergic neurons and vulnerability to depression

Immersive virtual reality therapy could help reduce depressive symptoms

Marijuana use among U.S. adults not as high as predicted before

Study confirms no detectable difference when switching between generics

Modulation of opioid system may improve effectiveness of drugs for treatment-resistant depression

TAU research highlights neuroprotective potential of protein-protectant drug candidate SKIP

Review of EAS cases among patients with psychiatric conditions in the Netherlands

Penn investigators explore new treatment option for cocaine dependence

Computerized cognitive rehabilitation can improve outcomes in brain injury survivors

Pregnancy may reduce PTSD symptoms in at-risk women

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Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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