Neuropsychopharmacology News and Research

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Researchers one step closer to finding effective drug for alcohol dependence

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and the Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden might be one step closer to finding an effective drug for alcohol dependence. In two separate studies, they show that the so-called dopamine stabilizer OSU6162 can reduce the craving for alcohol in alcohol dependent people and normalises the level of dopamine in the brain reward system of rats that have consumed alcohol over a long period of time.

14 Oct 2015

Reduced conflict-related brain activity linked to higher risk for psychosis

Researchers led by Bradley S. Peterson, MD, director of the Institute for the Developing Mind at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, have shown that lower levels of conflict-related brain activity are associated with a higher risk for later psychosis.

23 Sep 2015

New way to understand how transcranial magnetic stimulation can give relief for severe depression

A group of UK scientists have found a way of understanding how transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can give relief to severely depressed patients. TMS is used as an alternative to Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT), but it is not known how it achieves its therapeutic effect. Understanding how it works may open the door to better, more targeted treatment for depression and other conditions.

31 Aug 2015

Multi-national study identifies behaviour patterns that precede suicide attempts

A major multi-national study of suicides has identified the behaviour patterns which precede many suicide attempts. This may lead to changes in clinical practice in the care of patients affected with depression, as it shows the clinical factors which confer major risk of suicide attempts.

31 Aug 2015

Study shows food craving may be hard-wired into the brain of overweight patients

An international group of researchers have found that food craving activates different brain networks between obese and normal weight patients.

31 Aug 2015

Phase III trial results show cariprazine effective in treating negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia

Results of a clinical trial seem to show the first effective treatment for the negative symptoms - withdrawal, lack of emotion, and apathy - associated with schizophrenia.

31 Aug 2015

Single dose of cocaine can impair ability to recognise negative emotions

A single dose of cocaine can interfere with the ability to recognise negative emotions, according to new research presented at the ECNP conference in Amsterdam.

31 Aug 2015

New study shows high-fat diet can cause impairments in functioning of mesolimbic dopamine system

High-fat feeding can cause impairments in the functioning of the mesolimbic dopamine system, says Stephanie Fulton of the University of Montreal and the CHUM Research Centre. This system is a critical brain pathway controlling motivation. Fulton's findings, published today in Neuropsychopharmacology, may have great health implications.

15 Jul 2015

New study identifies potential antidepressant medications with few side effects

A new study by researchers at University of Maryland School of Medicine has identified promising compounds that could successfully treat depression in less than 24 hours while minimizing side effects. Although they have not yet been tested in people, the compounds could offer significant advantages over current antidepressant medications.

14 Jul 2015

SUNY Downstate Medical Center researchers identify ALPIM syndrome as new spectrum disorder

The relationship between mental and physical health is well established. But when mental and physical illnesses co-occur, patients' accounts of physical illness are sometimes arbitrarily discredited or dismissed by physicians.

10 Jul 2015

28th ECNP Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology to take place in Amsterdam

Europe's largest meeting for the science and treatment of disorders of the brain, the 28th ECNP Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology will take place at the Amsterdam RAI from 29 August to 1 September 2015.

6 Jul 2015

Cortisol study may explain persistence of emotional memories occurring in anxiety, PTSD

The stress hormone cortisol strengthens memories of scary experiences. However, it is effective not only while the memory is being formed for the first time, but also later when people look back at an experience while the memory reconsolidates. This has been published by cognition psychologists from the Ruhr-Universität Bochum in the journal "Neuropsychopharmacology".

2 Jul 2015

New UCLA study finds Naltrexone drug as promising treatment for methamphetamine addiction

A new study by UCLA researchers has found that Naltrexone, a drug used to treat alcoholism, may also be a promising treatment for addiction to methamphetamine.

19 May 2015

Scripps Florida scientists uncover surprising new details of potential alzheimer’s treatment

The new study points to promising new directions using a known therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease—a disorder that will affect nearly 14 million Americans by 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association...

29 Apr 2015

New TSRI study points to promising new therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease

Taking a new approach, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have uncovered some surprising details of a group of compounds that have shown significant potential in stimulating the growth of brain cells and memory restoration in animal models that mimic Alzheimer's disease.

29 Apr 2015

Study: Cannabis consumers more prone to experiencing false memories

A new study published in the American journal with the highest impact factor in worldwide, Molecular Psychiatry, reveals that consumers of cannabis are more prone to experiencing false memories.

22 Apr 2015

Oxytocin may be a potential therapeutic target for improving social function in psychiatric disorders

Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have shown inducing the release of brain oxytocin may be a viable therapeutic option for enhancing social function in psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia.

4 Mar 2015

Newly found peptide may reduce desire for food

Researchers have identified a peptide and hormone that when administered to a specific area of the brain may reduce the desire for food. The study, which appears in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, may one day lead to medications that treat obesity and binge eating disorders.

5 Feb 2015

Brain scans can predict therapeutic responses to talk therapy

UNC School of Medicine researchers have shown that brain scans can predict which patients with clinical depression are most likely to benefit from a specific kind of talk therapy.

4 Feb 2015

Project Spark to advance neuroprotective drug for schizophrenia-associated cognitive impairment

A public-private consortium led by the biotech Iproteos -based at Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB)-, and comprised by the biopharmaceutical company Ascil-Biopharma, the Institute for Biomedical Research (IRB Barcelona), the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) has launched a project to advance the development of a new neuroprotective drug for the treatment of the cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia and other mental disorders.

31 Jan 2015

Neuropsychopharmacology News and Research

Researchers one step closer to finding effective drug for alcohol dependence

Reduced conflict-related brain activity linked to higher risk for psychosis

New way to understand how transcranial magnetic stimulation can give relief for severe depression

Multi-national study identifies behaviour patterns that precede suicide attempts

Study shows food craving may be hard-wired into the brain of overweight patients

Phase III trial results show cariprazine effective in treating negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia

Single dose of cocaine can impair ability to recognise negative emotions

New study shows high-fat diet can cause impairments in functioning of mesolimbic dopamine system

New study identifies potential antidepressant medications with few side effects

SUNY Downstate Medical Center researchers identify ALPIM syndrome as new spectrum disorder

28th ECNP Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology to take place in Amsterdam

Cortisol study may explain persistence of emotional memories occurring in anxiety, PTSD

New UCLA study finds Naltrexone drug as promising treatment for methamphetamine addiction

Scripps Florida scientists uncover surprising new details of potential alzheimer’s treatment

New TSRI study points to promising new therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease

Study: Cannabis consumers more prone to experiencing false memories

Oxytocin may be a potential therapeutic target for improving social function in psychiatric disorders

Newly found peptide may reduce desire for food

Brain scans can predict therapeutic responses to talk therapy

Project Spark to advance neuroprotective drug for schizophrenia-associated cognitive impairment

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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

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