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Study reveals how subanesthetic ketamine is effective in treating adult amblyopia

In a new study, published in Current Biology, researchers from the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine reveal how subanesthetic ketamine, which is used for pain management and as an antidepressant in humans, is effective in treating adult amblyopia, a brain disorder commonly known as "lazy eye."

30 Sep 2020

Computer model sheds light on how brain circuits might be altered in psychiatric diseases

Scientists have built a computer 'brain circuit', or artificial neural network, that mirrors human decision-making processes and sheds light on how circuits might be altered in psychiatric diseases, a new study published today in eLife reports.

29 Sep 2020

An overview of withdrawal syndromes following discontinuation of psychotropic drugs

The current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics reports an article that analyzes the data that are available on what may happen when psychotropic drugs are discontinued.

24 Sep 2020

Measuring heart rate changes to detect depression risk

For the first time doctors have shown that measuring changes in 24-hour heart rate can reliably indicate whether or not someone is depressed.

11 Sep 2020

UV researchers patent a kit to detect GHB in alcoholic beverages and soft drinks

The MODeLiC (Organic Materials for Controlled Detection and Release) research team led by Ana María Costero, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Valencia (UV), has developed a system with colorimetric sensors that change color when there is γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) in a beverage.

8 Sep 2020

Researchers shed new light on epigenetic changes associated with ADNP syndrome

A study led by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai found that two different blood epigenetic signatures associated with ADNP syndrome (also known as Helsmoortel-Van Der Aa syndrome) have only a modest correlation with clinical manifestations of the syndrome. The study results were published online August 5 in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

6 Aug 2020

NICE guideline advises GPs to stop prescribing opioids for chronic pain

Published today, the first ever NICE guideline on the treatment of chronic pain has said that GPs should not prescribe opioids and other medicines like paracetamol to patients because they could be ‘harmful’ and cause addiction.

5 Aug 2020

Botox injections can reduce depression, shows study

Botox, a medication derived from a bacterial toxin, is commonly injected to ease wrinkles, migraines, muscle spasms, excessive sweating and incontinence.

30 Jul 2020

McLean Hospital study compares the costs and benefits of esketamine

A paper authored by researchers from McLean Hospital has determined that esketamine, a nasal spray to treat severe depression, is currently too expensive for widespread use.

13 Jul 2020

Study shows early promise of using laughing gas to relieve veterans' PTSD symptoms

For military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), symptoms such as anxiety, anger and depression can have a devastating impact on their health, daily routine, relationships and overall quality of life.

2 Jul 2020

New $26.9 million project aims to create better psychiatric drugs without side effects

Rapidly acting drugs to treat depression, anxiety, or substance abuse without side effects do not exist. Researchers led by Bryan L. Roth, MD, PhD, the Michael Hooker Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology at the UNC School of Medicine, are trying to change that.

16 Jun 2020

Researchers identify two brain phenomena that may explain the side-effects of ketamine

Researchers have identified two brain phenomena that may explain some of the side-effects of ketamine.

11 Jun 2020

NMDA receptors play key role in sleep deficits that accompany psychiatric disorders

Sofya Kulikova, a researcher at HSE University in Perm, is part of an international research team that has discovered potential mechanisms that explain the sleep spindle deficit in electroencephalograms (EEG) of people with schizophrenia. The article was published in the Schizophrenia Research on June 5.

5 Jun 2020

Anesthetic drug Ketamine uses serotonin receptors to relieve depression

Ketamine is a drug used to induce general anesthesia. It has also been found to act rapidly to relieve depression that has failed to respond to two other rounds of medication. A new study published in the journal Translational Psychiatry in May 2020 reports the mechanism of action of the drug, which was hitherto unknown. This could help find new ways to treat this debilitating and sometimes fatal condition.

31 May 2020

Researchers show how ketamine fights difficult-to-treat depression

The anaesthetic drug ketamine has been shown, in low doses, to have a rapid effect on difficult-to-treat depression.

31 May 2020

Nasal spray containing esketamine could provide an effective treatment for depression

Depression and long-term stress have been demonstrated to cause changes in the brain which offer a partial explanation for depressive moods, apathy, memory difficulties and other symptoms commonly associated with depression.

22 Apr 2020

Study shows JNK protein as a stress sensor in synapses

New study from Eleanor Coffey's lab at Turku Bioscience Centre in Finland identifies that the JNK protein triggers nerve cells to withdraw their synapses when stressed.

11 Mar 2020

Optimizing the use of oxytocin to help people overcome social difficulties

Oxytocin is known for its role in childbirth and breastfeeding and it has also been shown to have a wider application in the development and regulation of social behavior in many species.

3 Mar 2020

Autoantibodies can also act as the body's own antidepressants

If the immune system attacks its own body, it can often have devastating consequences: autoantibodies bind to the body's structures, triggering functional disorders.

24 Feb 2020

Harnessing biology and technology to develop much-needed treatments for depression

New research into the biology of depression, along with new and evolving technologies, provides the basis for developing the next generation of treatments for major depressive disorder, according to the special January/February issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry.

9 Jan 2020