Psychiatry News and Research

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

GLP1 agonists linked to depression risk in new genetic study

A groundbreaking study published in the journal Current Neuropharmacology highlights a concerning potential link between Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP1) receptor agonists-widely used in blockbuster drugs like Ozempic-and the risk of depression and suicidal ideation (SI).

17 Apr 2025

Researchers use algorithm to pinpoint disease risk mutations in noncoding DNA

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Medicine) have successfully employed an algorithm to identify potential mutations which increase disease risk in the noncoding regions our DNA, which make up the vast majority of the human genome.

17 Apr 2025

Understanding the natural history of SCN8A-related epilepsy disorders

Researchers from the Epilepsy Neurogenetics Initiative (ENGIN) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have completed a comprehensive natural history study of SCN8A-related disorders, which represent a spectrum of neurological symptoms.

15 Apr 2025

Scientists trace social challenges in autism to specific brain circuit

UNIGE scientists identified a brain circuit where lies the origin the social difficulties experienced by people with autism spectrum disorders.

14 Apr 2025

Stress and depression help explain intertwined alcohol, sleep problems

Insomnia and hazardous drinking are so closely intertwined that estimates suggest at least one-third, and as many as 91%, of people who have a hard time with sleep also misuse alcohol.

14 Apr 2025

More psych hospital beds are needed for kids, but neighbors say not here

In January, a teenager in suburban St. Louis informed his high school counselor that a classmate said he planned to kill himself later that day.

11 Apr 2025

Probiotics improve emotional state in healthy adults, study finds

A randomized controlled trial in 88 healthy adults found that probiotics reduced negative mood when assessed using daily self-reports, though traditional questionnaires failed to detect significant changes. These findings suggest that daily mood tracking may offer a more sensitive way to capture subtle emotional effects of probiotics in non-clinical populations.

10 Apr 2025

Study reveals brain circuit behind apathy in advanced cancer

The fatigue and lack of motivation that many cancer patients experience near the end of life have been seen as the unavoidable consequences of their declining physical health and extreme weight loss.

10 Apr 2025

Can psychedelics break compulsive eating habits in obesity?

A review by Oxford researchers explores how psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD may help disrupt compulsive eating behaviors in subsets of obese individuals. The paper outlines proposed neurobiological, epigenetic, and gut-brain mechanisms while emphasizing the need for human trials.

10 Apr 2025

Combined use of alcohol and cannabis could fuel addiction risks

Many young adults drink alcohol and use cannabis together, at the same time, as a coping mechanism or to relieve stress.

10 Apr 2025

Epigenetic discovery offers hope for reducing addiction relapse

New research on the biological basis of addiction has found that the critical epigenetic enzyme histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5) limits the expression of the gene Scn4b, regulating neuronal activity and thereby the formation of strong drug-related memories, which can trigger relapse in individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs).

10 Apr 2025

USC researchers reveal brain activity behind post stroke urinary incontinence

A new USC-led study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) reveals the neural mechanisms that contribute to urinary incontinence, a common condition affecting stroke survivors that has a significant impact on their quality of life.

10 Apr 2025

Cannabis users have elevated dopamine levels associated with psychosis

A McGill University-led study found that people with cannabis use disorder (CUD) had elevated dopamine levels in a brain region associated with psychosis.

9 Apr 2025

Genetic breakthrough in psychiatry using long-read genomic sequencing

In a manuscript published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry titled Long-Read Genome Sequencing in Clinical Psychiatry: RFX3 Haploinsufficiency in a Hospitalized Adolescent With Autism, Intellectual Disability, and Behavioral Decompensation, authors describe how they leveraged long-read genomic sequencing (LRS) to make a genetic diagnosis in a17-year-old male with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and acute behavioral decompensation that would not have been possible by standard methods.

9 Apr 2025

Cell-by-cell analysis reveals brain changes in Tourette syndrome

In the first comprehensive, cell-by-cell analysis of brain tissue from individuals with Tourette syndrome, researchers have pinpointed exactly which cells are perturbed and how they malfunction, revealing how different types of brain cells are affected by the condition.

9 Apr 2025

Tiny facial movements could help better understand social communication in autistic individuals

A study led by Rutgers University-New Brunswick researchers suggests that tiny facial movements – too slight for the human eye to notice – could help scientists better understand social communication in people with autism.

9 Apr 2025

Male-female pairs of mice show resilience in coordinating fear responses

When faced with a potential threat, mice often freeze in place. Moreover, when two animals are together, they typically freeze at the same time, matching each other's periods of immobility.

9 Apr 2025

New award to recognize contributions linking neuroscience to psychiatric diagnosis and treatment

Mental health is in crisis worldwide. While the neurosciences are advancing rapidly, psychiatry still struggles to diagnose and effectively treat many disorders. The Synapsy Center for Neuroscience and Mental Health Research at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, is launching a new international prize to reward those who bring these two worlds closer together.

9 Apr 2025

New study seeks best way to support people quitting menthol cigarettes

Nearly half of Americans who smoke use menthol cigarettes that are harder to quit, driving up their health risks with every puff.

9 Apr 2025

Cannabis extract can improve behavior of children and teens with autism spectrum disorder

New research presented at the 2025 European Congress of Psychiatry reveals that the use of cannabidiol (CBD) cannabis extract can lead to meaningful benefits and improve the behavior of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

8 Apr 2025