Schizophrenia News and Research

Latest Schizophrenia News and Research

BDNF methionine variation increases risk of suicidal behaviour

A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has found evidence that a specific gene is linked to suicidal behaviour, adding to our knowledge of the many complex causes of suicide. This research may help doctors one day target the gene in prevention efforts.

10 Oct 2011

Art, drama and dance may benefit dementia sufferers

While medical researchers continue the search for advanced diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dementia, a researcher at Royal Holloway, University of London is focusing on improving the experiences of those already suffering with the devastating disease for whom any cure would be too late.

7 Oct 2011

BDNF met variation gene linked to suicidal behaviour

7 Oct 2011

New $13.75M data-mining project to better understand factors behind mental disorders

Chicago will be home to a new $13.75 million project that will apply data mining methods to better understand the genetic and environmental factors behind neuropsychiatric disorders.

7 Oct 2011

Cannabidiol could prevent onset of pain associated with chemotherapy drugs

A chemical component of the marijuana plant could prevent the onset of pain associated with drugs used in chemo therapy, particularly in breast cancer patients, according to researchers at Temple University's School of Pharmacy.

7 Oct 2011

New insight into mechanisms of hippocampal rhythms

A research team from Berlin, Munich and Haifa has presented new findings concerning the function of the hippocampus, a region of the brain that is important for memory formation.

7 Oct 2011

Alkermes initiates ALKS 37 phase 2b study in opioid-induced constipation

Alkermes plc today announced the initiation of a phase 2b study of ALKS 37, an orally active, peripherally restricted opioid antagonist for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation.

3 Oct 2011

Jails are holding increasing numbers of mentally ill

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that in Georgia more mentally ill people are locked away than are treated in state psychiatric hospitals. In other state news about mental health, Florida seeks to recoup $4 million from company that managed Medicaid mental health services, and Milwaukee considers bolstering services.

30 Sep 2011

AstraZeneca settles SEROQUEL XR patent infringement litigation

AstraZeneca today announced it has entered into a settlement agreement in its U.S. SEROQUEL XR patent infringement litigation against Handa Pharmaceuticals, LLC regarding Handa's proposed generic version of AstraZeneca's SEROQUEL XR extended-release tablets.

30 Sep 2011

New report finds little evidence to support off-label use of atypical antipsychotics

There is little evidence to support the use of atypical antipsychotic drugs for some treatments other than their officially approved purposes, even though many clinicians continue to commonly prescribe these drugs for so-called "off label" uses, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

29 Sep 2011

Experts to explore implications of mental disorders at 12th EMBL | EMBO conference

You are invited to attend the 12th joint EMBL | EMBO Science and Society Conference - Making sense of mental illness: biology, medicine and society. The conference takes place 4-5 November 2011 at the EMBL Advanced Training Centre, Heidelberg, Germany. Press registration is free.

28 Sep 2011

UCSF neuroscientist wins PECASE award for research into addiction

Linda Wilbrecht, PhD, a neuroscientist at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), is one of 94 researchers named today by President Obama as a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

28 Sep 2011

Benefits and harms vary among atypical antipsychotics for off-label use

A review of previous studies suggests that even though atypical antipsychotic medications are commonly used for off-label conditions such as behavioral symptoms of dementia, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, these medications are effective for only a few off-label conditions, and that the benefits and harms of these medications for these uses vary, according to an article in the September 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Sep 2011

BioLineRx's BL-1020 Phase IIb EAGLE trial data on schizophrenia to be presented at ECSR

BioLineRx, a biopharmaceutical development company, today announced that data from the successfully completed Phase IIb EAGLE study of BL-1020, a first in class GABA-enhanced antipsychotic for the treatment of schizophrenia, will be presented at the 3rd European Conference on Schizophrenia Research (ECSR) held in Berlin, Germany.

28 Sep 2011

Afraxis to participate in NIH's Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Disease Program

Afraxis, a San Diego-based biotechnology company developing drugs to treat rare genetic diseases through the modulation of p21-activated kinase (PAK), announced today that it has been selected to participate in the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Disease (TRND) Program.

27 Sep 2011

High consumption of caffeinated coffee appears to reduce risk of depression in women

The risk of depression appears to decrease for women with increasing consumption of caffeinated coffee, according to a report in the September 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

27 Sep 2011

Common genetic variants linked to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Knowledge about the biological origin of diseases like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other psychiatric conditions is critical to improving diagnosis and treatment.

22 Sep 2011

Cornell researchers identify how T. gondii controls host's immune system

Toxoplasma gondii parasites can invade your bloodstream, break into your brain and prompt behavioral changes from recklessness to neuroticism. These highly contagious protozoa infect more than half the world's population, and most people's immune systems never purge the intruders.

22 Sep 2011

Common DNA variations contribute to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder

A team of over 250 researchers from more than 20 countries have discovered that common genetic variations contribute to a person's risk of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

20 Sep 2011