Psychiatry News and Research

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

Stanford scientists explore how out-of-sync circadian clock impairs brain function

Anyone who has struggled with a foggy brain while adjusting to daylight saving time knows first-hand how an out-of-sync circadian clock can impair brain function.

19 Nov 2014

New mouse model shows how mutated gene impairs neuronal development in individuals with autism

Geneticists at Heidelberg University Hospital's Department of Molecular Human Genetics have used a new mouse model to demonstrate the way a certain genetic mutation is linked to a type of autism in humans and affects brain development and behavior.

14 Nov 2014

Alzheimer's drug may reduce addictive and impulsive behavior associated with binge eating

The Alzheimer's drug memantine may perform double-duty helping binge eaters control their compulsion.

14 Nov 2014

Oxytocin hormone inhibits fear center in brain, shows study

Frightening experiences do not quickly fade from memory. A team of researchers under the guidance of the University of Bonn Hospital has now been able to demonstrate in a study that the bonding hormone oxytocin inhibits the fear center in the brain and allows fear stimuli to subside more easily.

14 Nov 2014

Pathological guilt in preschool years linked to brain changes, increases risk for recurrent depression

In school-age children previously diagnosed with depression as preschoolers, a key brain region involved in emotion is smaller than in their peers who were not depressed, scientists have shown.

14 Nov 2014

Scientists receive NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Grants for mental health research

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation today announced the award of NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Grants valued at $1.5 million to 15 scientists, who are full professors or the equivalent, conducting innovative projects in diverse areas of neurobiological and behavioral research.

13 Nov 2014

Guidelines to limit tours of overseas duty reduce mental health problems in UK’s armed forces

Prolonged periods of deployment among the UK’s armed forces have fallen since the introduction of the “Harmony Guidelines” to limit tours of overseas duty—which might have led to a reduction in mental health problems, new research published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal suggests.

13 Nov 2014

Schizophrenia symptom severity predicts atypical antipsychotic benefit

Atypical antipsychotic drugs benefit patients with acute schizophrenia across the full spectrum of symptom severity, as well as highly symptomatic patients with predominantly negative symptoms, suggests a meta-analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry.

12 Nov 2014

Metabolic syndrome screening in bipolar disorder warranted

The frequency of the metabolic syndrome in patients with bipolar disorder warrants systematic screening, say researchers, particularly among men, older patients and those receiving atypical antipsychotic treatment.

12 Nov 2014

Researchers identify key protein that can reduce severity of disease equivalent to MS in mice

In multiple sclerosis, the immune system goes rogue, improperly attacking the body's own central nervous system. Mobility problems and cognitive impairments may arise as the nerve cells become damaged.

12 Nov 2014

Experts review advances in understanding, treatment of bipolar disorder

Several lines of research have opened exciting new frontiers in scientific understanding and clinical management of bipolar disorder. Recent advances in bipolar disease research are described in this month's special issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry.

11 Nov 2014

UCSD researchers implicate new gene in idiopathic or non-syndromic autism

With the help of mouse models, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and the "tooth fairy," researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have implicated a new gene in idiopathic or non-syndromic autism. The gene is associated with Rett syndrome, a syndromic form of autism, suggesting that different types of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may share similar molecular pathways.

11 Nov 2014

New program aims to educate COPD patients on how to manage their disease

The American Thoracic Society today announced a new program, produced with support from Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., to provide materials to educate patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) about this progressive lung disease and how it can be managed.

11 Nov 2014

Anxiety can accelerate conversion to Alzheimer's disease for people with mild cognitive impairment

People with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at increased risk of converting to Alzheimer's disease within a few years, but a new study warns the risk increases significantly if they suffer from anxiety.

11 Nov 2014

Low subjective social status linked to mental disorder risk

Researchers report an inverse association between people’s subjective social status (SSS) and the likelihood of them having a psychiatric disorder.

6 Nov 2014

Medical illness common in bipolar disorder

Patients with bipolar disorder have high rates of medical illness, which often exceeds the levels observed in patients with unipolar depression, show results of a UK-based study.

5 Nov 2014

Study measures effects of high-fat maternal diet on the cognitive functioning of offspring

New research suggests that a high-fat maternal diet during pregnancy and while breastfeeding could have significant and lasting detrimental effects on the brain function and behavior of children.

5 Nov 2014

New studies offer hope for breast cancer survivors struggling with cancer-related pain, swelling

Two new studies from the Abramson Cancer Center and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania offer hope for breast cancer survivors struggling with cancer-related pain and swelling, and point to ways to enhance muscular strength and body image.

5 Nov 2014

New article provides overview of evidence-based tips to support individuals with ASD

A Clinical Perspectives article published in the November 2014 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry proposes a tool to empower stakeholders, guide caregivers, and provide a rationale for advocates, when considering the systems of support offered to people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

5 Nov 2014

Researchers identify genetic markers that play role in alcoholism recovery

In an international study, Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators have identified genetic markers that may help in identifying individuals who could benefit from the alcoholism treatment drug acamprosate. The findings, published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, show that patients carrying these genetic variants have longer periods of abstinence during the first three months of acamprosate treatment.

4 Nov 2014

Psychiatry News and Research

Further Reading

Stanford scientists explore how out-of-sync circadian clock impairs brain function

New mouse model shows how mutated gene impairs neuronal development in individuals with autism

Alzheimer's drug may reduce addictive and impulsive behavior associated with binge eating

Oxytocin hormone inhibits fear center in brain, shows study

Pathological guilt in preschool years linked to brain changes, increases risk for recurrent depression

Scientists receive NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Grants for mental health research

Guidelines to limit tours of overseas duty reduce mental health problems in UK’s armed forces

Schizophrenia symptom severity predicts atypical antipsychotic benefit

Metabolic syndrome screening in bipolar disorder warranted

Researchers identify key protein that can reduce severity of disease equivalent to MS in mice

Experts review advances in understanding, treatment of bipolar disorder

UCSD researchers implicate new gene in idiopathic or non-syndromic autism

New program aims to educate COPD patients on how to manage their disease

Anxiety can accelerate conversion to Alzheimer's disease for people with mild cognitive impairment

Low subjective social status linked to mental disorder risk

Medical illness common in bipolar disorder

Study measures effects of high-fat maternal diet on the cognitive functioning of offspring

New studies offer hope for breast cancer survivors struggling with cancer-related pain, swelling

New article provides overview of evidence-based tips to support individuals with ASD

Researchers identify genetic markers that play role in alcoholism recovery

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