Psychiatry News and Research

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

Less is more when it comes to antibiotics for UTI in men

Research suggests that standard antibiotic prescribing for urinary tract infections in male patients may need to be reviewed, as currently recommended 7–14-day courses appear to be no more effective than shorter ones, and may increase the risk for antimicrobial resistant or Clostridium difficile infection.

6 Dec 2012

‘Weekend pill’ employed for muscular dystrophy

A drug used to treat erectile dysfunction may prevent functional muscle ischemia in patients with Becker muscular dystrophy, a small randomized trial shows.

6 Dec 2012

Rates of reported neonaticide have reduced after 'anonymous delivery' law implementation in Austria

Rates of reported neonaticide have more than halved following the implementation of a unique 'anonymous delivery' law in Austria, finds a new study published today (05 December) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

6 Dec 2012

Western University research could lead to better treatments for PTSD and drug addiction

New research from Western University could lead to better treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and drug addiction by effectively blocking memories. The research performed by Nicole Lauzon, a PhD candidate in the laboratory of Steven Laviolette at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry has revealed a common mechanism in a region of the brain called the pre-limbic cortex, can control the recall of memories linked to both aversive, traumatic experiences associated with PTSD and rewarding memories linked to drug addiction.

6 Dec 2012

First U.S. patient treated with deep brain stimulation for Alzheimer's at Johns Hopkins

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine in November surgically implanted a pacemaker-like device into the brain of a patient in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, the first such operation in the United States. The device, which provides deep brain stimulation and has been used in thousands of people with Parkinson's disease, is seen as a possible means of boosting memory and reversing cognitive decline.

6 Dec 2012

Ponatinib offers new hope in drug-resistant leukemia

An investigational tyrosine kinase inhibitor, ponatinib, has shown high levels of activity in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

5 Dec 2012

NICE reject intravitreal implant for diabetic macular edema

The UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has not recommended a fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant for individuals with diabetic macular edema who do not respond to existing therapies.

5 Dec 2012

Rethinking therapy decisions in autoimmune encephalopathy

Researchers say that diagnosis and management of encephalopathies may need to be rethought, as many patients who test negative for the relevant antibody still benefit from immunotherapy.

4 Dec 2012

Boys at high-risk for familial depression show sadness oversensitivity

Boys, but not girls, with depressed parents display enhanced perceptual sensitivity to sadness when compared with low-risk peers, a study has shown.

4 Dec 2012

Mouthwash may reduce bacteremia after wisdom tooth extraction

Use of a povidone iodine- or chlorhexidine-based mouthwash immediately before third molar extraction reduces bacteria levels in patients' blood after the procedure, Turkish study findings reveal.

4 Dec 2012

Excess vitamin A intake has calcification repercussions

Excess dietary vitamin A intake is significantly associated with increased heart valve calcification, show results from an animal study.

4 Dec 2012

The Leapfrog Group honors Northwestern Memorial and Lake Forest with 'A' Hospital Safety Score

Memorial Hospital and Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital have been selected as 2012 Top Hospitals by The Leapfrog Group, an organization that provides the only national, public comparison of hospitals across safety, quality and efficiency dimensions. Northwestern Memorial and Northwestern Lake Forest are honored among an elite group of only 92 hospitals selected out of nearly 1,200 surveyed.

4 Dec 2012

Link between stress and brain activation in patients with seizure

A study reported here at the 66th American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting has identified a significant difference in the brain response to stress in patients who believe stress is an important factor in their seizure control compared to patients who do not hold this belief.

4 Dec 2012

Childhood trauma can leave permanent epigenetic marks on DNA

Abused children are at high risk of anxiety and mood disorders, as traumatic experience induces lasting changes to their gene regulation. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich have now documented for the first time that genetic variants of the FKBP5 gene can influence epigenetic alterations in this gene induced by early trauma.

3 Dec 2012

Selumetinib plus docetaxel shows KRAS-mutant NSCLC potential

The addition of selumetinib to docetaxel therapy may boost the survival of patients with KRAS-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer, suggest study findings published in The Lancet Oncology.

3 Dec 2012

Child psychiatrist from England named recipient of Lennox-Lombroso Award

The American Epilepsy Society has announced that David C. Taylor, lately Head of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Manchester, UK, and a pioneering child psychiatrist, has been named recipient of The William G. Lennox—Cesare T. Lombroso Award for 2012.

1 Dec 2012

Brain study provides new insights into how recognition is connected with emotion and morality

People are able to detect, within a split second, if a hurtful action they are witnessing is intentional or accidental, new research on the brain at the University of Chicago shows.

1 Dec 2012

Hard-core smokers more likely to cut back when cigarette taxes rise

When cigarette taxes rise, hard-core smokers are more likely than lighter smokers to cut back, according to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

1 Dec 2012

AES honors University of Florence neuroscientist with Epilepsy Research Recognition Award

Renzo Guerrini, M.D., Director and Professor of Pediatric Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florence, Anna Meyer Children's Hospital, Italy, has been named recipient of the 2012 Epilepsy Research Recognition Award for Clinical Science conferred by the American Epilepsy Society (AES).

30 Nov 2012

Deficiencies in sensory information processing can explain complex symptoms of schizophrenia

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the VA San Diego Healthcare System have found that deficiencies in the neural processing of simple auditory tones can evolve into a cascade of dysfunctional information processing across wide swaths of the brain in patients with schizophrenia.

30 Nov 2012