Psychiatry News and Research

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

Breakthrough technique harvests stem cells from urine to study Down syndrome

One of the biggest challenges in studying Down syndrome is finding the right research model. Animals and established cell lines are limited in their ability to mimic human disease, and results don't always translate to patient populations.

28 Mar 2017

International consortium proposes new approach to diagnosing mental illnesses

A consortium of psychiatrists and psychologists from universities around the world, co-led by Stony Brook University, University of Minnesota and University of Notre Dame researchers, has proposed a new approach to diagnosing mental disorders.

25 Mar 2017

Researchers report discovery of new gene linked to Tau accumulation in AD

Tau pathology is one of the defining features of Alzheimer disease (AD), which is the most common form of dementia in older age.

25 Mar 2017

Multipronged study of schizophrenia-associated syndrome receives $3.1 million NIH grant

A research team at Emory University is embarking on a multipronged study of 3q29 deletion syndrome, a genetic mutation associated with a 40-fold increased risk for schizophrenia and a range of other neuropsychiatric conditions including mild to moderate intellectual disability, autism and anxiety.

24 Mar 2017

New gene linked to Tau pathology

Investigators at Rush University Medical Center and the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston reported the discovery of a new gene that is associated with susceptibility to a common form of brain pathology called Tau that accumulates in several different conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, certain forms of dementia and Parkinsonian syndromes as well as chronic traumatic encephalopathy that occurs with repeated head injuries.

24 Mar 2017

Researchers show shared genetic origin between ALS/MND and schizophrenia

Researchers have shown for the first time that Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and schizophrenia have a shared genetic origin, indicating that the causes of these diverse conditions are biologically linked.

24 Mar 2017

MRI brain scans may help clinicians decide between CBT and drug treatment for depression

Researchers from Emory University have found that specific patterns of activity on brain scans may help clinicians identify whether psychotherapy or antidepressant medication is more likely to help individual patients recover from depression.

24 Mar 2017

Transgender college students more likely to experience negative consequences from drinking

A survey of more than 422,000 college freshmen found that students who identified as transgender were more likely than their cisgender peers to experience negative consequences from drinking, including memory blackouts, academic problems and conflicts such as arguments or physical fights.

24 Mar 2017

Sleep deprivation hinders ability to identify facial expressions, study finds

After a rough night's sleep, your ability to recognize whether those around you are happy or sad could suffer, according to a study led by a University of Arizona psychologist.

23 Mar 2017

Researchers develop novel genetic score to calculate age-specific risk of Alzheimer's disease

An international team of scientists, led by researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and University of California San Francisco, has developed a novel genetic score that allows individuals to calculate their age-specific risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), based upon genetic information.

22 Mar 2017

Loss of partner to suicide may increase risk for mental and physical disorders

People who lose a partner to suicide are at increased risk for a number of mental and physical disorders, including cancer, depression, herniated discs and mood disorders than those in the general population, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

22 Mar 2017

Heroin use linked to epigenetic alterations in the brain

Heroin use is associated with excessive histone acetylation, an epigenetic process that regulates gene expression, and more years of drug use correlate with higher levels of hyperacetylation, according to research conducted at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

22 Mar 2017

‘Supportive touch’ experiences can help preterm infants in NICU respond better, research suggests

Treatment in the nation's Neonatal Intensive Care Units save millions of infants born prematurely every year. But this treatment is not without cost. Painful procedures such as needle pricks can impact early brain development.

22 Mar 2017

Study reveals link between tanning dependence and other addictive behaviors

Despite the known dangers of exposure to ultraviolet light, many people continue to sunbathe and use indoor tanning beds with some users exhibiting a dependence to tanning. A new study from the Yale School of Public Health finds that such dependence is also associated with other addictive behaviors.

21 Mar 2017

Study finds greater risk of suicide following initial episode of self-harm

New findings suggest that American adults who survive deliberate self-harm are at increased risk of suicide in the first year after such an event, indicating a need to direct clinical interventions in the critical 12 months following such episodes.

21 Mar 2017

Maternal infections during pregnancy may alter genes key to prenatal brain development

If a mother picks up an infection during pregnancy, her immune system will kick into action to clear the infection - but this self-defence mechanism may also have a small influence how her child's brain develops in the womb, in ways that are similar to how the brain develops in autism spectrum disorders.

21 Mar 2017

Structured interviews may be effective in identifying women at risk of postpartum depression

For non-depressed, pregnant women with histories of major depressive disorder, preventive treatment with antidepressants may not necessarily protect against postpartum depression, according to new UCLA research.

21 Mar 2017

Mouse study provides target for development of faster-acting antidepressant medications

Standard antidepressant medications don't work for everyone, and even when they do they are slow to kick in. In an effort to find better depression treatments, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine discovered that inhibiting an enzyme called Glyoxalase 1 (GLO1) relieves signs of depression in mice.

21 Mar 2017

Salk scientists develop new way to find responders to lithium therapy

For roughly one-third of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder, lithium is a miracle drug, effectively treating both their mania and depression. But once someone is diagnosed, it can take up to a year to learn whether that person will be among the 30 percent who respond to lithium or the 70 percent who do not.

21 Mar 2017

Study sheds light on cellular mechanisms that enable prostate cancer cells to form secondary tumours

New King's College London research sheds light on the cellular mechanisms which enable cancer cells to escape the prostate and spread to other parts of the body.

20 Mar 2017

Psychiatry News and Research

Further Reading

Breakthrough technique harvests stem cells from urine to study Down syndrome

International consortium proposes new approach to diagnosing mental illnesses

Researchers report discovery of new gene linked to Tau accumulation in AD

Multipronged study of schizophrenia-associated syndrome receives $3.1 million NIH grant

New gene linked to Tau pathology

Researchers show shared genetic origin between ALS/MND and schizophrenia

MRI brain scans may help clinicians decide between CBT and drug treatment for depression

Transgender college students more likely to experience negative consequences from drinking

Sleep deprivation hinders ability to identify facial expressions, study finds

Researchers develop novel genetic score to calculate age-specific risk of Alzheimer's disease

Loss of partner to suicide may increase risk for mental and physical disorders

Heroin use linked to epigenetic alterations in the brain

‘Supportive touch’ experiences can help preterm infants in NICU respond better, research suggests

Study reveals link between tanning dependence and other addictive behaviors

Study finds greater risk of suicide following initial episode of self-harm

Maternal infections during pregnancy may alter genes key to prenatal brain development

Structured interviews may be effective in identifying women at risk of postpartum depression

Mouse study provides target for development of faster-acting antidepressant medications

Salk scientists develop new way to find responders to lithium therapy

Study sheds light on cellular mechanisms that enable prostate cancer cells to form secondary tumours

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

Managing vibration in IVF laboratories

A New Approach to Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence

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