Neuropsychopharmacology News and Research

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Researchers find low levels of neuroactive steroid in both obese and anorexic women

Women at opposite extremes of the weight spectrum have low levels of the neuroactive steroid allopregnanolone, according to new research published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

10 Nov 2017

Magic mushrooms may effectively reset activity of brain circuits involved in depression

Patients taking psilocybin to treat depression show reduced symptoms weeks after treatment following a 'reset' of their brain activity.

13 Oct 2017

Better understanding of serotonin's function in the brain could lead to radical shift in psychiatric care

A better understanding of how a key chemical messenger acts in the brain could lead to a radical shift in psychiatric care, according to a new research paper.

4 Sep 2017

Researchers identify decreased brain pH levels in mouse models of mental disorders

Your body's acid/alkaline homeostasis, or maintenance of an adequate pH balance in tissues and organs, is important for good health.

7 Aug 2017

People with family history of bipolar disorder may 'age' more quickly than others

New King's College London research suggests that people with a family history of bipolar disorder may 'age' more rapidly than those without a history of the disease.

26 Jul 2017

Screening individuals at-risk for psychosis may help predict future violent behavior

A new study of young persons at clinical high-risk of developing psychosis has identified measures of violence potential that may be useful in predicting both the increased risk of future violent behavior and the actual development of psychosis.

17 Jul 2017

'Brain training' game could help improve memory in patients with patients with amnestic MCI

A 'brain training' game developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge could help improve the memory of patients in the very earliest stages of dementia, suggests a study published today in The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology.

3 Jul 2017

Maternal stress during pregnancy could lead to premature biological ageing in offspring

The stress that some mothers experience during their pregnancies could influence the genetic makeup their babies are born with and, eventually, lead to premature biological ageing and associated age-related diseases.

11 Apr 2017

'Cannibal drug' consumption in adolescence can increase vulnerability to cocaine use during adulthood

Consumption of the synthetic drug MDPV -a powerful psychostimulant known as 'cannibal drug'- in adolescence, can increase vulnerability of cocaine addiction during adulthood, according to a study carried out with laboratory animals and led by the researchers Elena Escubedo, from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences and the Institute of Biomedicine of the UB and Olga Valverde, head of the Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group of Pompeu Fabra University.

22 Mar 2017

Low levels of allopregnanolone hormone may predict risk of postpartum depression

In a small-scale study of women with previously diagnosed mood disorders, Johns Hopkins researchers report that lower levels of the hormone allopregnanolone in the second trimester of pregnancy were associated with an increased chance of developing postpartum depression in women already known to be at risk for the disorder.

14 Mar 2017

Study shows and measures effects of cognitive-enhancing drugs on chess play

The first study to both show and measure the effects of cognitive-enhancing drugs such as modafinil, methylphenidate, and caffeine, on chess play is being published in the March edition of the peer-reviewed journal European Neuropsychopharmacology.

6 Mar 2017

Deep brain stimulation can reduce heroin relapse in rat models of addiction, TSRI study shows

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found that deep brain stimulation (DBS) can greatly reduce the compulsion to use heroin in standard rat models of addiction.

2 Feb 2017

LSD influences perception by stimulating serotonin receptors in the brain

Researchers from UZH have discovered how the perception of meaning changes in the brain under the influence of LSD. The serotonin 2A receptors are responsible for altered perception.

27 Jan 2017

Characterizing the Brain - Cell by Cell

My group develops approaches to study cell-to-cell signaling in the brain – how the cells of the brain talk to each other. The brain is heterogeneous, probably more so than any other organ in our body, and many of its functions depend on the unique characteristics of these cells.

From Pittcon 23 Jan 2017

Witnessing fear in others may change how information flows in the brain, study finds

Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have discovered that observing fear in others may change how information flows in the brain.

4 Jan 2017

Hallucinogenic drug offers relief for people with cancer-related anxiety or depression

In a small double-blind study, Johns Hopkins researchers report that a substantial majority of people suffering cancer-related anxiety or depression found considerable relief for up to six months from a single large dose of psilocybin -- the active compound in hallucinogenic "magic mushrooms."

2 Dec 2016

Pharmacotherapy combined with rehabilitation program offers hope for traumatic brain injury patients

Pharmacological therapy combined with a rehabilitation program that teaches how to compensate for memory and attention problems offers new hope for people who suffer the consequences of traumatic brain injury.

24 Nov 2016

New combinatination therapy shows promise in treating patients with traumatic brain injury

A combination of the stimulant drug methylphenidate with a process known as cognitive-behavioral rehabilitation is a promising option to help people who suffer from persistent cognitive problems following traumatic brain injury, researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have reported.

22 Nov 2016

Messenger substance may help in future treatment of anxiety disorders

The targeted control of biochemical processes and neuronal signalling pathways using the messenger substance neuropeptide Y could help in the future treatment of anxiety disorders.