Psychosis News and Research

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Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality". People suffering from psychosis are said to be ''psychotic.''

Hallucinations linked to self-destructive thoughts among adolescents with psychological symptoms

Visual distortions and hallucinations related to an elevated risk of psychosis are linked to self-destructive thought processes among adolescents with psychological symptoms, according to a recent Finnish study. Early indications of the risk of psychosis can usually be detected long before the onset of a full-blown disorder.

22 Jan 2015

FDA approves RYTARY for Parkinson's disease treatment

Impax Pharmaceuticals, a division of Impax Laboratories, Inc., today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved RYTARY, an extended-release oral capsule formulation of carbidopa-levodopa, for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, post-encephalitic parkinsonism, and parkinsonism that may follow carbon monoxide intoxication and / or manganese intoxication.

8 Jan 2015

Longitudinal course of schizophrenia negative symptoms revealed

Schizophrenia negative symptoms are relatively stable in the first year for most patients after they begin antipsychotic medication but research suggests around a quarter will experience exacerbation or relapse.

7 Jan 2015

Comorbid OCD not uncommon in bipolar disorder

Co-occurrence of obsessive compulsive disorder in patients with bipolar disorder type I is not uncommon and is associated with increased functional disability, research findings indicate.

7 Jan 2015

Additional products seized from Calgary stores contain undeclared drug ingredients

Further to its recent Advisory, Health Canada has identified additional products seized from two Samson's Supplements stores in Calgary that pose a risk to health.

2 Jan 2015

Unauthorized weight loss product seized from two retail locations in southwest of Calgary

The unauthorized product "Hydro-Lean" was seized from two Calgary stores because the label indicates it contains a combination of ingredients that can cause serious health risks (ephedrine and caffeine).

23 Dec 2014

Social environment not linked to UHR psychosis transition

Research indicates that social deprivation and migrant status do not influence the risk of transition to psychosis in ultra-high-risk individuals.

18 Dec 2014

National survey shows decrease in alcohol, cigarette and illicit drug use among U.S. teens

A national survey of students in U.S. middle schools and high schools shows some important improvements in levels of substance use.

16 Dec 2014

Psychotic experiences show shared genetic liability

Study findings provide support for psychotic experiences being an early marker of increased risk of psychosis transition and an important intermediary phenotype in transdiagnostic research on psychosis.

11 Dec 2014

Cerebellar cortical volume reduction specific to schizophrenia

Reduced cerebellar cortical volume occurs only in patients with schizophrenia, rather than all those with psychosis, say researchers.

10 Dec 2014

Study highlights causes of postpartum disorders in new mothers

In the days shortly after giving birth, most mothers experience a period of increased calmness and decreased stress responses, but around 20% of mothers experience anxiety. Some women may become depressed, and around one in a thousand can develop psychosis. The latest evidence indicates that these distressing responses to motherhood are still poorly understood, but that animal research could provide valuable clues to their causes.

8 Dec 2014

University of Miami researcher reveals association between 'salience processing' and brain disorders

How does the brain determine what matters? According to a new scientific article, a brain structure called the insula is essential for selecting things out of the environment that are "salient" for an individual, and dysfunction of this system is linked to brain disorders such as autism, psychosis and dementia.

5 Dec 2014

Primary care can help tackle mental health care disparities among ethnic minorities

Primary care that includes mental health screenings and treatments that take into account a patient's language and cultural background can help address mental health care disparities among ethnic minorities, according to psychologists, physicians and other health care experts writing in a special issue of Psychological Services, published by the American Psychological Association.

5 Dec 2014

People with first-episode psychosis may benefit from medication treatment changes, study finds

Many patients with first-episode psychosis receive medications that do not comply with recommended guidelines for first-episode treatment, researchers have found. Current guidelines emphasize low doses of antipsychotic drugs and strategies for minimizing the side effects that might contribute to patients stopping their medication.

5 Dec 2014

EMAHSN extends IPS scheme to support people with mental health illness

The 8 December will see the first step in an East Midlands wide approach to supporting people with mental health illness back in to work or education. The East Midlands Academic Health Science Network is championing and extending a widely proven scheme called Individual Placement and Support (IPS) across the region.

28 Nov 2014