Psychopharmacology News and Research

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

SAMe dietary supplement effective for major depressive disorders: Study

A new study conducted by investigators at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) suggests that S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe), an over-the-counter dietary supplement, can be an effective, relatively well-tolerated, adjunctive treatment for adults with major depressive disorders who do not respond to their treatment with antidepressant medication.

2 Sep 2010

Latest achievements in brain research and treatment for mental disorders

Mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, addiction and schizophrenia are the core challenge of most health care systems around the world. In the EU alone, each year 27% of the total adult population - this corresponds to 83 Million citizens - suffer from mental disorders. Depression alone affects almost 20 million ranking in the EU as the most disabling disorder of all diseases.

30 Aug 2010

23rd European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress to be held 28 Aug - 1 Sep 2010 in Amsterdam

26 Aug 2010

New study sheds light on recovery from intoxication

A new study shows the impact of alcohol intoxication on reasoning and problem-solving abilities and may explain why some people feel they have recovered enough to drive after drinking. The research, led by Peter J. Snyder, PhD, vice president of research for Lifespan, is the first to explore how these cognitive abilities are impacted during both rising and declining blood alcohol concentrations, at matched blood alcohol level concentrations, and how self-evaluation of recovery differs from actual recovery from impairment.

19 Aug 2010

Alexza second-quarter net loss decreases to $12.9 million

Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2010 and provided a business update. The net loss for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010, as reported in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP), was $12.9 million and $26.3 million, respectively, compared to a net loss of $17.0 million and $23.9 million in the respective comparable periods in 2009. Alexza had consolidated cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities at June 30, 2010 of $41.7 million.

27 Jul 2010

MDMA (Ecstasy) holds promise for chronic treatment-resistant PTSD

MDMA (-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, also known as Ecstasy), may one day offer hope for individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), even people for whom other treatments have failed. Clinical trial results out today in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, published by SAGE, suggests that MDMA can be administered to subjects with PTSD without evidence of harm and could offer sufferers a vital window with reduced fear responses where psychotherapy can take effect.

20 Jul 2010

Positive results from Phase I clinical trial of GLYX-13 presented at NCDEU meeting

Naurex Inc., a clinical stage company developing innovative treatments for depression and other CNS disorders, today reported that it presented data at the NCDEU 50th Anniversary Meeting showing that its novel mechanism compound GLYX-13 appeared safe in a Phase I trial. GLYX-13 is a glycine site functional partial agonist selective modulator of the NMDA receptor that is being developed initially for use in depression as adjunctive therapy.

17 Jun 2010

Study: ChEI improves driving skills in patients with mild AD

A promising study from Rhode Island Hospital demonstrated that cholinesterase inhibitors, a type of medication often prescribed for Alzheimer's disease, improved some cognitive skills in patients with mild AD - skills that are necessary for driving. Findings from the study showed that after being treated with a ChEI, AD patients improved in some computerized tests of executive function and visual attention, including a simulated driving task.

10 Jun 2010

New findings on INTUNIV Extended Release Tablets presented at major psychiatric meeting

Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced new findings on once-daily INTUNIV (guanfacine) Extended Release Tablets, the first selective alpha-2A agonist approved for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, at a major psychiatric meeting.

24 May 2010

Recreational drugs can trigger memory lapse

Have you ever forgotten to post an important letter or let an appointment slip your mind? A new study from UK researchers suggests that for those who regularly use ecstasy or other recreational drugs, this kind of memory lapse is more common.

24 Feb 2010

PROMETA Treatment Program rapidly reduces cravings for methamphetamine subjects: Study

Hythiam, Inc. announced today that the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled study on the impact of the medical component of the PROMETA® Treatment Program on methamphetamine dependent subjects were published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, a peer-reviewed, international journal that publishes original research and review articles on preclinical and clinical aspects of psychopharmacology.

11 Feb 2010

Autism Speaks: Ten most significant autism research achievements in 2009

Autism Speaks, the world's largest autism science and advocacy organization has released its annual list of the 10 most significant research achievements to have impacted autism during the previous year. Every year, Autism Speaks documents the progress made toward its mission to discover the causes and treatment for autism spectrum disorders, and compiles a list of the 10 most significant research achievements to have impacted autism during the previous year.

10 Feb 2010

Chamomile extract therapy effective for generalized anxiety disorder

Feeling stressed? Try chamomile! This 'traditional' remedy has been around for years, but how much truth is there behind this old wives' tale?

10 Feb 2010

Tel Aviv University finds estrogen may protect women from psychosis

Many American women are prescribed estrogen to combat the negative effects of menopause, such as bone loss and mood swings. Now, new evidence from a Tel Aviv University study suggests that hormone replacement therapy might also protect them ― and younger women ― from schizophrenia as well.

21 Jan 2010

Significant limitations in new Ginkgo biloba study published in JAMA, says ABC

New research findings published this week on a standardized Ginkgo biloba extract are very limited and the public should focus on the well-documented cognitive and cardiovascular benefits of ginkgo, said the American Botanical Council (ABC), an independent nonprofit research and education organization.

30 Dec 2009

Naurex' GLYX-13 demonstrates antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like activity without CNS-related side effects

Naurex Inc., a new clinical stage company developing innovative treatments for depression and other CNS disorders based on its novel GFPA NMDA receptor modulators, today announced that data presented at a major medical meeting showed that its lead compound GLYX-13 demonstrated robust antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like activity with no signs of the CNS-related side effects seen with other drugs targeting the NMDA receptor.

16 Dec 2009

Psychopharmacology expert calls for more mental health staffing at army bases

The recent shootings at the Ft. Hood, Texas army base, allegedly by an army psychiatrist, have placed much-needed focus on mental health care in the army. In an article published in the December issue of the journal CNS Spectrum, renowned psychopharmacology expert Stephen M. Stahl, MD, PhD, calls for increased mental health staffing at Fort Hood and other army bases.

14 Dec 2009

Study provides new insight on teens’ addiction to drug abuse

It is common knowledge that smoking is a health risk but why do teens become addicted to smoking more easily than adults? In an evaluation for Faculty of 1000 Biology, Neil Grunberg looks into why adolescents are more prone to substance abuse.

14 Dec 2009

Rats exposed to passive smoking become dependent on nicotine, reveals study

Rats passively exposed to tobacco smoke become dependent on nicotine, according to a new study by Dr. Adrie Bruijnzeel and colleagues from the University of Florida in the US. Their findings of how rats' brains respond to exposure to tobacco smoke have implications for the study of the effects of tobacco smoke on the human brain even from passive exposure to other smokers, and for future studies testing new treatments for tobacco addiction. Their work has just been published online in Springer's journal Psychopharmacology.

9 Dec 2009

Antipsychotic medications increase the levels of inflammation markers, find researchers

Overall, antipsychotic medications are reasonably effective, and fairly well tolerated treatments for mood and psychotic disorders. However, treatment with a number of antipsychotic medications is associated with weight gain, and for some, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia.

2 Dec 2009