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.''

Cerebral basis for positive psychosis symptoms pinpointed

Altered activation in the secondary somatosensory cortex during sensorimotor experiences may underlie the flawed judgments resulting in positive schizophrenia symptoms, research suggests.

19 Nov 2013

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals initiates pimavanserin Phase II trial in ADP patients

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative treatments that address unmet medical needs in neurological and related central nervous system disorders, today announced that it has initiated a Phase II feasibility trial designed to examine the efficacy and safety of pimavanserin as a treatment for patients with Alzheimer's disease psychosis.

15 Nov 2013

Gray matter changes reflect psychosis burden

Changes in gray matter volume may be associated with psychosis burden rather than clinical diagnosis, research suggests.

14 Nov 2013

Mood disorder subtypes remain in the family

Psychosis, mania, and depression are unlikely to have shared hereditary causes, report researchers in Molecular Psychiatry.

8 Nov 2013

Brain & Behavior Research Foundation announces recipients of NARSAD Investigator Grants

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (formerly known as NARSAD, the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression), under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, President & CEO, has announced the latest recipients of its NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Grants.

8 Nov 2013

Population genetic studies may have limited role in schizophrenia

Studying the genetics of people in the general population who have psychotic experiences is unlikely to yield useful information about schizophrenia, say researchers.

6 Nov 2013

Lack of neurocognitive gender differences in early psychosis

Impairments in neurocognition do not occur at a higher rate in males than in females at the onset of psychosis, suggest findings published in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry.

5 Nov 2013

First-episode type predicts morbidity, disease course in bipolar disorder

Study findings suggest that the type of first episode in patients with bipolar disorder can predict the type and degree of future morbidity, as well as the disease course.

5 Nov 2013

Metacognitive training complements antipsychotic therapy

Metacognitive training may benefit patients with schizophrenia who only partially respond to antipsychotic treatment, study findings show.

5 Nov 2013

Reviva announces successful completion of End-of-Phase 2 meeting for RP5063 drug

Reviva Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of new, safer and highly effective therapies for chronic indications, announced today the successful completion of an End-of-Phase 2 meeting with the Food and Drug Administration for its lead, new investigational antipsychotic drug, RP5063.

5 Nov 2013

Self-harm warns of repeated suicide attempt risk in schizophrenia

Individuals who have attempted suicide and also have a history of self-harm should be thoroughly assessed for psychotic symptoms in order to prevent delayed treatment and the risk for repeated suicide attempts, say researchers.

31 Oct 2013

Large, rare CNV burden reduced in bipolar disorder

Large and rare chromosomal copy number variants are uncommon in patients with bipolar disorder, even those with early-onset disease, study findings confirm.

31 Oct 2013

Mood instability shapes psychotic experiences

Mood instability is a prominent feature of psychosis, say researchers who found it was associated with and predicted the presence of psychotic experiences such as paranoid ideation and auditory hallucinations.

30 Oct 2013

Psychosis prediction model could facilitate early intervention

A integrated model has shown “outstanding” ability to predict the transition to psychosis in clinically high-risk patients, report investigators in Schizophrenia Bulletin.

25 Oct 2013

Research unlocks secrets of mouse behavior to help identify promising psychiatric drugs

Developing psychiatric medications is a long and complex process. Candidate drugs are evaluated and assessed based on their effects on the behavior of animals, usually rats or mice. Each class of drugs, from antidepressants to antipsychotics, is tested differently - often in a labor-intensive process that leaves plenty of room for human error. And there is a growing consensus that current procedures fail to effectively produce new medications.

25 Oct 2013

Autoimmune link to schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia have an increased risk for developing autoimmune diseases, especially if they contract an infection, shows a registry-based study.

24 Oct 2013

Multifactorial approach needed for early bipolar detection

At-risk states for bipolar disorder require a multifaceted approach to be identified and appropriately treated, according to preliminary results from the Dresden High-Risk Project.

24 Oct 2013

Schizophrenic hippocampal abnormalities blamed on glutamate

Elevated glutamate levels correlate with reduced tissue volume in the hippocampus of patients with schizophrenia, a study shows.

18 Oct 2013

Psychotic symptoms alone denote medical health risk

People with symptoms of psychosis have an increased rate of medical comorbidities and unhealthy lifestyle habits even if they do not have a psychiatric diagnosis, shows a worldwide study.

17 Oct 2013

Viewpoints: Marketplaces' 'technical foibles' may keep young people from coming back; health law may be ushering in era of narrow networks

The encouraging view is that the overwhelming number of visitors to the site indicates high demand for insurance in the new system. That's critical, because the more people who participate, the better the system works. The danger is that the technical foibles since Oct. 1 will discourage people from coming back, particularly the young and healthy customers the system needs to keep rates reasonable. With some big deadlines approaching, the Obama administration needs to fix the bugs, and fast. People who need insurance from the federal marketplace have until mid-December to buy coverage that begins Jan. 1. If enrollment figures aren't robust by then, the new health-care system will have a problem even bigger than a frustrating Web (10/11).

15 Oct 2013