Psychiatry News and Research

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

New schizophrenia treatment

Schizophrenia is one of the most debilitating of the major psychiatric disorders, and is also one of the most difficult to treat.

14 Dec 2007

Venlafaxine extended-release effective for patients with major depression

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common major mental illness, afflicting almost one in five individuals.

13 Dec 2007

Different areas of the brain respond to belief, disbelief and uncertainty

The human mind is a prolific generator of beliefs about the world. The capacity of our minds to believe or disbelieve linguistic propositions is a powerful force for controlling both behavior and emotion, but the basis of this process in the brain is not yet understood.

13 Dec 2007

Time to remove the stigma associated with incontinence

An independent panel convened this week by the NIH found that fewer than half of individuals experiencing fecal or urinary incontinence - the inability to control bowel movements or urination, respectively - report their symptoms to healthcare providers without being prompted.

13 Dec 2007

Human hormone shows potential as new antidepressant agent

Novel treatment strategies for major depression with broader treatment success or a more rapid onset of action would have immense impact on public health, a new study published in the December 1st issue of Biological Psychiatry explains.

12 Dec 2007

Is there a developmental component to the risk for depression?

Psychiatrists remain divided as to how to define and classify the mood and anxiety disorders, the most common mental disorders.

10 Dec 2007

Depression screening for cancer patients too often falls between the cracks

Depression is known to be associated with cancer yet too many cancer patients are not screened for this mental disorder, according to researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine, the Regenstrief Institute and the Roudebush VA Medical Center.

10 Dec 2007

Nicotine has significant effects on brain GABA

There is a clear link between GABA - a chemical substance of the central nervous system that inhibits neurons in the brain - and nicotine dependence, according to a study presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting.

10 Dec 2007

Psychotherapy useful in treating PTSD in early stages

When treated within a month, survivors of a psychologically traumatic event improved significantly with psychotherapy, according to a new study presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting.

10 Dec 2007

Genetic animal model of autism

By introducing a gene mutation in mice, investigators have created what they believe to be the first accurate model of autism not associated with a broader neuropsychiatric syndrome, according to research presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology annual meeting.

10 Dec 2007

Stable sleep patterns and regular routines may improve outcomes in bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder, commonly known as manic-depressive disorder, is highly influenced by the circadian system - the body's internal clock - and a specific kind of psychotherapy may help decrease irregularities in the circadian system that can trigger key symptoms of bipolar disorder, according to a study presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting.

10 Dec 2007

New understanding of biological effects of alcohol on genes within cells

Alcohol triggers the activation of a variety of genes that can influence the health and activity of brain cells, and new research from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City sheds light on how that process occurs.

10 Dec 2007

Depression nearly triples the risk of death following a heart attack

...even when accounting for other heart attack risk factors, according to research presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting, which showed that among 360 depressed, post myocardial infarction patients followed for more than six years, those who did not recover from their depression in the first six months were more than twice as likely to die.

10 Dec 2007

Transcranial magnetic stimulation effective treatment for major depression

For the first time in a large-scale study, transcranial magnetic stimulation has been shown to be an effective, non-drug treatment for major depression.

5 Dec 2007

Discovery of potential "getting drunk" gene

A variant of a gene involved in communication among brain cells has a direct influence on alcohol consumption in mice, according to a new study by scientists supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Army.

5 Dec 2007

Rhodiola rosea found to increase lifespan in fruit flies

The herbal extract of a yellow-flowered mountain plant indigenous to the Arctic regions of Europe and Asia increased the lifespan of fruit fly populations, according to a University of California, Irvine study.

5 Dec 2007

Anorexia begins in the womb

New research is suggesting that a male twin who shares the womb with a female twin is almost as likely as twin girls to be diagnosed with anorexia.

5 Dec 2007

Middle-aged Australians more anxious and depressed than their elderly counterparts

A study, by Dr Julian Trollor and Dr Tracy Anderson from the School of Psychiatry at UNSW, found that elderly participants (those aged 65 and above) reported a lower prevalence of psychiatric and anxiety disorders and had lower levels of psychological distress than middle-aged participants.

4 Dec 2007

Researchers present unique program aimed at HIV prevention in runaway youth

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center are the first in the U.S. to develop an HIV prevention and intervention program for adolescent runaways that focuses on their strengths.

4 Dec 2007

Genetic markers for mental illness

Researchers have discovered natural genetic differences that might help predict the most effective antipsychotic drugs for particular patients with mental disorders such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's and drug addiction.

4 Dec 2007