Psychiatry News and Research

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

APS announces recipients of prestigious achievement awards

The American Pain Society (APS), www.ampainsoc.org, today announced the recipients of its prestigious achievement awards during the organization's annual scientific meeting. APS rewards excellence in pain management with awards for career achievement, pain scholarship, education and public service, advocacy on behalf of children, outstanding service to APS, early career achievements and journalism.

18 May 2012

Researchers identify 57 SNPs associated with autism

By focusing on the identification of common genetic variants, researchers have identified 57 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that predict-with a high degree of certainty--the risk that siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will also develop the condition. The findings were presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research.

18 May 2012

Self-harm study of Miss. youth finds highest rate in African-American males

A study of Mississippi youth who deliberately hurt themselves, and one of the first to examine self-harm across several demographics, found behaviors such as hitting, burning, biting, banging and cutting extend to African-American teens, boys in particular.

17 May 2012

DSM needs radical change from current ‘field guide’ form

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), long the master reference work in psychiatry, is seriously flawed and needs radical change from its current "field guide" form, according to an essay by two Johns Hopkins psychiatrists published in the May 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

17 May 2012

Early drug and alcohol use associated with lower levels of educational attainment

Researchers have found evidence that early drug and alcohol use is associated with lower levels of educational attainment.

17 May 2012

Most depressed patients must make multiple attempts before finding an effective antidepressant

UT Southwestern Medical Center psychiatrists are leading a national clinical trial to find biomarkers that can better predict how people suffering from depression will respond to medications so physicians eventually can personalize treatments.

16 May 2012

Delayed loss of nerve cells in the brain linked to symptoms of depression following stroke

Several weeks after mild brain ischemia, mice display a depressive-like syndrome characterized by increased anxiety, inactivity and "cheerlessness". These symptoms of depression following a stroke are associated with the delayed loss of nerve cells in the brain's reward regions. This is the major finding of a study published in the current issue of Biological Psychiatry.

16 May 2012

Scientists identify and prioritize genes associated with schizophrenia

An Indiana University-led research team, along with a group of national and international collaborators, has identified and prioritized a comprehensive group of genes most associated with schizophrenia that together can generate a score indicating whether an individual is at higher or lower risk of developing the disease.

16 May 2012

Healthy lifestyle choices may reduce risk of stroke

Every 40 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death and the number one cause of adult disability in the country. While stroke often occurs without warning, understanding risk factors and learning to recognize symptoms can potentially save lives and limit damage if a stroke occurs. In recognition of National Stroke Awareness Month, Northwestern Medicine experts encourage consumers learn about their potential risk factors and start making lifestyle decisions that may decrease their likelihood of having a stroke.

16 May 2012

Study demonstrates long-term effectiveness of classroom-based drug prevention program

A new study presented at an international conference in Texas demonstrates the long-term effectiveness of a classroom-based prevention program targeting teen drug use.

15 May 2012

Health care system should provide proactive interventions to prevent depression

Major depressive episodes can be prevented, and to help ensure that they are, the health care system should provide routine access to depression-prevention interventions, just as patients receive standard vaccines, according to a new article co-authored by UCSF researcher Ricardo F. Mu-oz, PhD.

15 May 2012

Research roundup: Health providers' growing clout; The surprising bargain in Part D costs

The Growing Power Of Some Providers To Win Steep Payment Increases From Insurers Suggests Policy Remedies May Be Needed -- Concerns have grown that the consolidation of hospitals and physician groups has increased their ability to raise prices, which increases costs for insurers and patients.

11 May 2012

Maternal gluten sensitivity may increase risk of schizophrenia in children

Babies born to women with sensitivity to gluten appear to be at increased risk for certain psychiatric disorders later in life, according to research by scientists at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore.

11 May 2012

MAGI genes play a role in psychiatric disease

These findings are not about the classic story of gift-giving, although the MAGI genes (officially named membrane associated guanylate kinase, WW and PDZ domain containing proteins) do influence brain function in important ways.

11 May 2012

Research with infant twins shows that environmental conditions determine testosterone levels

By comparing the testosterone levels of five-month old pairs of twins, both identical and non-identical, University of Montreal researchers were able to establish that testosterone levels in infancy are not inherited genetically but rather determined by environmental factors. "Testosterone is a key hormone for the development of male reproductive organs, and it is also associated with behavioural traits, such as sexual behaviour and aggression," said lead author Dr. Richard E. Tremblay of the university's Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment.

10 May 2012

Sunovion announces results from LATUDA open-label study for schizophrenia

Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced results from an open-label study that switched clinically stable, but symptomatic adult outpatients with schizophrenia from other antipsychotic agents to LATUDA.

10 May 2012

UAB’s First Episode Schizophrenia Clinic rapidly treats patients with new diagnosis

Like the "golden hour" of trauma care that increases the odds of a person's survival, some clinicians are now applying that philosophy to the treatment of schizophrenia, one of the most puzzling mental health disorders.

10 May 2012

Study shows effects of psychotropic drug treatment on brain morphology

It is increasingly recognized that chronic psychotropic drug treatment may lead to structural remodeling of the brain. Indeed, clinical studies in humans present an intriguing picture: antipsychotics, used for the treatment of schizophrenia and psychosis, may contribute to cortical gray matter loss in patients, whereas lithium, used for the treatment of bipolar disorder and mania, may preserve gray matter in patients.

9 May 2012

Results reported for clinical trial for the treatment of depression using external trigeminal nerve stimulation

Earlier today, at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Dr. Ian Cook, Principal Investigator and Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA, and a Senior Medical Advisor to NeuroSigma, Inc., presented the results of a Phase Ib open-label clinical trial that studied the effects of eTNS™ on depressive symptoms in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy. Results from the 17-question Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17), a clinician-rated scale, showed a 50.0% reduction in depression and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), a self-reported scale, showed a 58.0% reduction in scores. Both scales achieved statistical significance. In the trial, subjects placed stimulating eTNS™ electrodes on their foreheads for 8 hours each night and their depression was measured every two weeks using recognized standard tests. eTNS was well tolerated and no serious adverse events occurred during the 8-week treatment period.

9 May 2012

Antidepressives reduce risk of suicides in schizophrenic patients

Antidepressive drugs reduce the mortality rate of schizophrenic patients, while treatment with bensodiazepines greatly increases it, especially as regards suicide. Giving several antipsychotics simultaneously, however, seems to have no effect at all. This according to a new study examining different drug combinations administered to patients with schizophrenia.

9 May 2012

Psychiatry News and Research

Further Reading

APS announces recipients of prestigious achievement awards

Researchers identify 57 SNPs associated with autism

Self-harm study of Miss. youth finds highest rate in African-American males

DSM needs radical change from current ‘field guide’ form

Early drug and alcohol use associated with lower levels of educational attainment

Most depressed patients must make multiple attempts before finding an effective antidepressant

Delayed loss of nerve cells in the brain linked to symptoms of depression following stroke

Scientists identify and prioritize genes associated with schizophrenia

Healthy lifestyle choices may reduce risk of stroke

Study demonstrates long-term effectiveness of classroom-based drug prevention program

Health care system should provide proactive interventions to prevent depression

Research roundup: Health providers' growing clout; The surprising bargain in Part D costs

Maternal gluten sensitivity may increase risk of schizophrenia in children

MAGI genes play a role in psychiatric disease

Research with infant twins shows that environmental conditions determine testosterone levels

Sunovion announces results from LATUDA open-label study for schizophrenia

UAB’s First Episode Schizophrenia Clinic rapidly treats patients with new diagnosis

Study shows effects of psychotropic drug treatment on brain morphology

Results reported for clinical trial for the treatment of depression using external trigeminal nerve stimulation

Antidepressives reduce risk of suicides in schizophrenic patients

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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