Psychiatry News and Research

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

Pro-relationship behaviors matter

If you do something positive for your mate, does it matter why? The answer is yes, according to new research from University of Rochester research assistant professor Heather Patrick.

28 May 2007

Appetite-regulating hormones and peptides may be involved in the neurobiology of alcohol craving

Defined as a powerful urge to drink, or intense thoughts about alcohol, is an important contributor to the development and maintenance of alcoholism.

28 May 2007

FDA should be given broad regulatory authority over tobacco marketing, packaging, and distribution

A combination of increased excise taxes, nationwide indoor smoking bans, and other measures would significantly lower the U.S. smoking rate, which now hovers at around 21 percent of the adult population, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

28 May 2007

Research reveals a new mechanism of learning in the brain

Mice genetically engineered to lack a single enzyme in their brains are more adept at learning than their normal cousins, and are quicker to figure out that their environment has changed, a team led by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center has found.

28 May 2007

Restrictive medical studies exclude blacks and women

Treatment studies that exclude the homeless, illicit drug users or people with mental problems disproportionately curb the number of African-Americans and/or women eligible to participate in medical research, according to a new study from investigators at Stanford University.

28 May 2007

African-Americans more likely to be excluded from treatment studies than men or non-African-American patients

A new analysis has found that many alcohol treatment studies are designed in ways that inadvertently omit women and African-Americans from participation.

28 May 2007

Smokers who have a say in how they quit are more likely to try kicking the habit

Rochester researcher Dr. Geoffrey Williams associate professor of medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, will unveil new findings at a Toronto conference this month that demonstrate patient involvement in a quit plan leads to smokers who are more motivated to quit because they genuinely want to, not because they are being nagged or bullied.

28 May 2007

Study of Aripiprazole in adolescents with schizophrenia

In a six-week study in adolescents (13-17 years old) with schizophrenia, the Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company atypical antipsychotic aripiprazole demonstrated significant improvement compared to placebo on the primary efficacy endpoint, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) Total Score.

24 May 2007

Clinical study results on bifeprunox for schizophrenia

Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Lundbeck A/S presented clinical study results on bifeprunox, an investigational treatment for adult patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.

24 May 2007

In utero exposure to smoking associated with ADHD problems in genetically susceptible children

Women smokers who become pregnant have long been encouraged to reduce or eliminate their nicotine intake.

24 May 2007

Daytrana provides significant effectiveness in both boys and girls with ADHD

Shire plc has announced that DAYTRANA (methylphenidate transdermal system), its Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) patch, had significant efficacy in reducing the symptoms of ADHD in both male and female children aged 6 to 12 years, according to clinical trial results reported at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) annual meeting in San Diego.

24 May 2007

More evidence found indicating potassium channels play a critical role in sleep

A gene that controls the flow of potassium into cells is required to maintain normal sleep in fruit flies, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH).

24 May 2007

Iloperidone shows promise for Akathisia

According to study results presented at the 2007 American Psychiatric Association annual meeting, iloperidone, an investigational atypical antipsychotic, was shown to have a favorable akathisia profile.

24 May 2007

Efficacy and safety of Aripiprazole as adjunctive therapy in major depressive disorder

In adults with major depressive disorder, adding aripiprazole to antidepressant therapy (ADT) resulted in significant improvement in the primary endpoint, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Total Score.

24 May 2007

Yoga shows promise in improving symptoms associated with depression, anxiety and epilepsy

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and McLean Hospital have found that practicing yoga may elevate brain gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels, the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter.

23 May 2007

Study of normal brain development

Children appear to approach adult levels of performance on many basic cognitive and motor skills by age 11 or 12, according to a new study coordinated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

18 May 2007

Children who are hyperactive tend to do worse academically

Although the relationship between such behaviors as overactivity, impulsivity, and inattentiveness in children and poor achievement in math, reading, language, and other areas has been well documented, little is known about the reasons for this link.

18 May 2007

High-risk sexual behavior in adolescents

High-risk sexual behavior in adolescents appears to be influenced by the sexual attitudes of peers, and young people select friends whose attitudes about sex are consistent with their own attitudes.

18 May 2007

Structural brain development and behavior from birth to young adulthood

Yes, there are gender differences in cognitive function, but they're more limited than previously thought.

18 May 2007

Novel device helps monitor mental illness

Psychiatric researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine will report important new findings from a study of patients with bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia at the upcoming meeting of the Society of Biological Psychiatry, to be held in San Diego May 17-20.

17 May 2007