Neuropsychopharmacology News and Research

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Study shows increased brain reactivity may facilitate memorisation of dreams

Some people recall a dream every morning, whereas others rarely recall one. A team led by Perrine Ruby, an Inserm Research Fellow at the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (Inserm/CNRS/Universit- Claude Bernard Lyon 1), has studied the brain activity of these two types of dreamers in order to understand the differences between them.

17 Feb 2014

Exposing adolescent to marijuana can lead to behavioral alterations in next generation

Exposing adolescent rats to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) -the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana—can lead to molecular and behavioral alterations in the next generation of offspring, even though progeny were not directly exposed to the drug, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found.

23 Jan 2014

Findings suggest possible clinical uses of ecstasy in treating anxiety and PTSD

Brain imaging experiments have revealed for the first time how ecstasy produces feelings of euphoria in users.

17 Jan 2014

Study: Immune cells outside the brain may regulate propensity to develop depression

A new study shows that immune cells outside the brain may regulate propensity to develop depression. The data were presented today at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual Meeting.

13 Dec 2013

Research explores epigenetic effects that contribute to psychiatric disorders in offspring

Advanced paternal age has been associated with greater risk for psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism. With an increase in paternal age, there is a greater frequency of certain types of mutations that contribute to these disorders in offspring.

9 Dec 2013

Professor wins Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health from Institute of Medicine

The Institute of Medicine today awarded the 2013 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health to William T. Carpenter, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore.

22 Oct 2013

Binge eating disorder is different from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

Food addiction is not yet recognised as a mental disorder but certain obese individuals clearly display addictive-like behaviour towards food.

9 Oct 2013

Only small proportion of adults receive formal diagnosis, treatment for ADHD

Up to two-thirds of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder find their disorder persists into adulthood yet only a small proportion of adults ever receive a formal diagnosis and treatment, research suggests.

8 Oct 2013

GABA inverse agonist restores learning, memory performances in cognitively-impaired DS mice

A selective GABA inverse agonist has restored cognitive function in a mouse model of Down's syndrome (DS) and has the potential to benefit humans, French researchers have revealed.

8 Oct 2013

PMDD may shed light on complex interactions between sex hormones and mood

Improved understanding of the role of female sex hormones on the drivers and symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) may shed light on the complex interactions between sex hormones and mood, potentially helping to explain the increased prevalence of mood disorders in women.

8 Oct 2013

NAC amino acid may offer new treatment options for psychiatric disorders

Improved understanding of the roles of inflammation and oxidative stress in psychiatric disorders has generated new leads in the search for novel therapies. One such investigative compound currently in clinical trials is an amino acid, N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), which appears to reduce the core symptoms of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, autism and cravings in addictions including cocaine, cannabis abuse and cigarette smoking.

8 Oct 2013

Cogstate test shows effective treatment option for schizophrenia

Medical technology company Cogstate continues to strengthen its position as an essential partner for measuring cognition in important studies around the world, with results from a schizophrenia study using Cogstate's test published in a major scientific journal.

27 Sep 2013

Dopamine improves deficiencies in social behavior, could have implications for neuropsychiatric disorders

A stressful pregnancy might be the last thing a future mother needs, but it is to her unborn baby that this stress spells real trouble. All because stress hormones (called glucocorticoids or GCs) can disturb normal foetal brain development, leading to behavioural and/or emotional problems later in life.

5 Sep 2013

ICSD, SAGE launch journal that provides information on drugs to public and professionals

SAGE and the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ICSD) today announced the launch of Drug Science, Policy and Law, an online journal supporting the ICSD's goals of providing accessible information on drugs to the public and professionals.

2 Aug 2013

Research finds potential long-term effects of marijuana use in adolescence

Regular marijuana use in adolescence, but not adulthood, may permanently impair brain function and cognition, and may increase the risk of developing serious psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, according to a recent study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

25 Jul 2013

Long-term cannabis use, dopamine and motivation: an interview with Dr Michael Bloomfield, Department of Medicine at Imperial

We classified ‘long-term’ cannabis use as being regular, at least weekly, cannabis use for over 12 months. This is the period of time that’s used in the DSM-IV psychiatric diagnostic manual to classify substance use disorders. In our study the average duration of at least weekly use was just over four and a half years.

17 Jul 2013

Researchers find new treatment option for schizophrenia

A research group led by professor Jesper Ekelund showed that by giving a very large dose of famotidine (200 mg daily), sufficient amounts of the drug are able to penetrate the so-called blood-brain barrier to affect the histamine system in the brain.

1 Jul 2013

GLYX-13 drug induces antidepressant results without street drug side effects

GLYX-13, a molecular cousin to ketamine, induces similar antidepressant results without the street drug side effects, reported a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) that was published last month in Neuropsychopharmacology.

31 May 2013

First alcoholic drink during puberty increases risk of alcohol problems

Research shows that the earlier the age at which youth take their first alcoholic drink, the greater the risk of developing alcohol problems. Thus, age at first drink (AFD) is generally considered a powerful predictor of progression to alcohol-related harm.

18 May 2013

Researchers successfully test new anti-cocaine vaccine in primates

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have successfully tested their novel anti-cocaine vaccine in primates, bringing them closer to launching human clinical trials.

13 May 2013

Neuropsychopharmacology News and Research

Study shows increased brain reactivity may facilitate memorisation of dreams

Exposing adolescent to marijuana can lead to behavioral alterations in next generation

Findings suggest possible clinical uses of ecstasy in treating anxiety and PTSD

Study: Immune cells outside the brain may regulate propensity to develop depression

Research explores epigenetic effects that contribute to psychiatric disorders in offspring

Professor wins Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health from Institute of Medicine

Binge eating disorder is different from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

Only small proportion of adults receive formal diagnosis, treatment for ADHD

GABA inverse agonist restores learning, memory performances in cognitively-impaired DS mice

PMDD may shed light on complex interactions between sex hormones and mood

NAC amino acid may offer new treatment options for psychiatric disorders

Cogstate test shows effective treatment option for schizophrenia

Dopamine improves deficiencies in social behavior, could have implications for neuropsychiatric disorders

ICSD, SAGE launch journal that provides information on drugs to public and professionals

Research finds potential long-term effects of marijuana use in adolescence

Long-term cannabis use, dopamine and motivation: an interview with Dr Michael Bloomfield, Department of Medicine at Imperial

Researchers find new treatment option for schizophrenia

GLYX-13 drug induces antidepressant results without street drug side effects

First alcoholic drink during puberty increases risk of alcohol problems

Researchers successfully test new anti-cocaine vaccine in primates

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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