Psychopharmacology News and Research

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Psychopharmacology is the study of drug-induced changes in mood, sensation, thinking, and behavior.

Study confirms that cocaine makes users more willing to partake in risky sex

Cocaine use has long been tied anecdotally to higher-than-usual rates of impulsive behavior, including risky sex, but the tie-in has been difficult to study with any scientifically controlled rigor.

2 Feb 2017

Benzodiazepine-like drugs linked to increased stroke risk among Alzheimer's disease patients

The use of benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine-like drugs was associated with a 20 per cent increased risk of stroke among persons with Alzheimer's disease, shows a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland.

16 Jan 2017

Study finds high mental health impact after Great East Japan Earthquake

The devastating 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and resulting nuclear disaster in Japan had a high mental health impact—with some effects persisting several years later, according to a comprehensive research review in the January/February issue of the Harvard Review of Psychiatry, published by Wolters Kluwer.

10 Jan 2017

Researchers warn about taking psilocybin-containing ‘magic mushrooms’

In a survey of almost 2,000 people who said they had had a past negative experience when taking psilocybin-containing "magic mushrooms," Johns Hopkins researchers say that more than 10 percent believed their worst "bad trip" had put themselves or others in harm's way, and a substantial majority called their most distressing episode one of the top 10 biggest challenges of their lives.

30 Dec 2016

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

Neuroimaging markers may help predict psychotherapy response in patients with depression, anxiety

Brain imaging scans may one day provide useful information on the response to psychotherapy in patients with depression or anxiety, according to a review of current research in the November/December issue of the Harvard Review of Psychiatry, published by Wolters Kluwer.

10 Nov 2016

SLU receives HRSA grant for training family physicians and medical family therapists in behavioral health

Saint Louis University has received a $1.87 million grant to strengthen behavioral health training for family physicians, who often are the primary physician seen by many adults and children, and for medical family therapists who practice alongside them.

23 Sep 2016

Psychopharmacological intervention shows promise in treating children with dyslexia

A new study shows significant improvement in critical components of reading, including decoding and vocabulary, among children treated with atomoxetine compared to placebo.

7 Sep 2016

MedDiet improves memory and slows cognitive decline, study shows

Eating a Mediterranean diet can slow down cognitive decline.The Mediterranean diet can improve your mind, as well your heart, shows a study published in the open-access journal

9 Aug 2016

Prolonged duration of untreated early-onset psychosis predicts lower functional improvement in children

A review of 35 studies of early-onset schizophrenia-spectrum psychosis (EOS) identified the most common psychotic symptoms and the disorders that most often co-occur in children and adolescents with EOS.

2 Aug 2016

Overcoming gene silencing barriers to target neurological conditions: an interview with Dr Errol de Souza

Many gene mutations that cause neurological disorders have been identified. For example, in a rare neurological disorder such as Huntington’s disease, an autosomal dominant mutation through expansion of CAG (cytosine-adenine-guanine) triplet repeats in the gene coding for the Huntingtin protein results in abnormal protein production.

1 Aug 2016

Study highlights effectiveness of atypical antipsychotic drug in treating children with TD

A meta-analysis of clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of aripiprazole for the treatment of Tourette's disorder (TD) in children and adolescents showed a significantly greater overall improvement in total tics and tic severity from pretreatment to post-treatment for the aripiprazole compared to the placebo group.

21 Jul 2016

Researchers study impact of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in adolescents with anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders are among the most common psychiatric conditions affecting children and adolescents. While antidepressants are frequently used to treat youth with anxiety disorders, sometimes, antidepressants may be poorly tolerated in children who are at high risk of developing bipolar disorder.

20 Jul 2016

Regular drug use may hamper moral decision making

Regular cocaine and methamphetamine users can have difficulty choosing between right and wrong, perhaps because the specific parts of their brains used for moral processing and evaluating emotions are damaged by their prolonged drug habits.

13 Jul 2016

Factors linked to sexual victimization risk among college students

Sexual victimization on college campuses may be more or less likely depending on institutional characteristics of the school such as size, type (public or private), sex ratio, selectivity, and percentage of students involved in Greek life (fraternities and sororities).

12 Jul 2016

New study reveals conversion of oral cannabidiol to THC by acidic fluids in the stomach

A new study demonstrating the conversion of oral cannabidiol (CBD) to the psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the presence of gastric fluids could explain why children given CBD to treat epilepsy had an unexpectedly high rate of adverse effects such as sleepiness and fatigue.

22 Jun 2016

New study explores sexual assault victimization among bisexual, gay college students

A new study of sexual assault on college campuses found that nearly 2 of every 5 bisexual female college students experienced sexual assault after four years in college. About 1 in 4 gay and bisexual men are victims of sexual assault during college, which is similar to the frequency reported by heterosexual women, according to the study published in the journal Violence and Gender, from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

1 Jun 2016

Neuroimaging studies offer new insights into cognitive vulnerability to depression

Neuroimaging studies of interconnected brain networks may provide the "missing links" between behavioral and biological models of cognitive vulnerability to depression, according to a research review in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

10 May 2016

Long-term medication use reduces risk of relapse and improves symptoms in BDD patients

People with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) fare better and are less likely to relapse when treated with medication on a long-term basis, according to researchers at Rhode Island Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.

11 Apr 2016

Studies raise hope for new treatments, preventive approaches for schizophrenia

Emerging evidence on the development, "prodromal" characteristics, and long-term course of schizophrenia provide reasons for optimism for developing new treatments and preventive approaches for this devastating disorder, according to the special March/April issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry.

11 Mar 2016