Psychosis News and Research

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Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality". People suffering from psychosis are said to be ''psychotic.''

New antipsychotic drug prevents brain loss in schizophrenia

A new brain imaging study of recently diagnosed schizophrenia patients has found, for the first time, that the loss of gray matter typically experienced by patients can be prevented by one of the new atypical antipsychotic drugs, olanzapine, but not by haloperidol, an older, conventional drug.

4 Apr 2005

Different antipsychotic medications may have different effects on brain volume in patients with first episode of psychosis

After a first psychotic episode, patients who were treated with an atypical antipsychotic medication had less change in brain volume compared with patients treated with a conventional antipsychotic medication, according to an article in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

4 Apr 2005

Low levels of oral cannabis induces psychosis

Recreational cannabis use has previously been associated with psychotic reactions even in clinical situations where cannabis is administered orally at low doses, now Swiss researcher Dr. Bernard Favrat and colleagues at Institut Universitaire de Medicine Legale in Lausanne have confirmed this in the first such report, in closely monitored subjects participating in a clinical trial.

4 Apr 2005

Cannabis-based medicines given in a highly-controlled clinical environment unexpectedly lead to strong psychotic effects

Volunteers taking cannabis-based therapeutic drugs as part of a controlled trial, which had been approved by an ethics board as safe for the subjects, experienced psychotic effects just as strong as if they had smoked cannabis. These findings, highly unexpected in such a controlled environment, are published today in the peer-reviewed, Open Access journal BMC Psychiatry.

3 Apr 2005

Doubts over cannabis being a therapeutic and harmless drug

New research from the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Otago University, raises more doubts over cannabis being a therapeutic and harmless drug.

28 Feb 2005

Dramatic evidence of how psychiatric disorders are underdiagnosed in hospital emergency departments

New research offers dramatic evidence of how psychiatric disorders are underdiagnosed in hospital emergency departments, affecting an increasing number of Americans who rely on such facilities for much of their primary health care needs.

23 Feb 2005

Early diagnosis and treatment is important for children and adolescents with bipolar disorder

"These new guidelines were formulated by a group of leading experts in child psychiatry and are the most up-to-date and comprehensive set of guidelines for the treatment of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder," said Dr. Kowatch. "They represent a major step towards practicing evidence-based medicine in this difficult to treat group of patients.

22 Feb 2005

Memory problems could be a clue to psychosis

University of Melbourne researchers have identified a variety of intellectual impairments, such as difficulties young people have in remembering new information, that could be a marker for later psychosis.

18 Jan 2005

Researchers have identified the cellular receptor for the JC virus

Researchers funded in part by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have identified the cellular receptor for the JC virus, which causes the fatal neurological disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).

17 Jan 2005

Newly discovered genetic defect might represent an important risk factor for major depression

A newly discovered genetic defect might represent an important risk factor for major depression, a condition which effects 20 million people in the U.S., according to Duke University Medical Center researchers.

13 Dec 2004

Frequent cannabis use increases the risk of psychotic symptoms

Frequent cannabis use during adolescence and young adulthood increases the risk of psychotic symptoms later in life, according to a new study published on bmj.com.

1 Dec 2004

A new study will research the best way to treat women with psychosis who then become pregnant

The national study will look at the best clinical practice for treating pregnant women with schizophrenia and other psychosis by setting up an Australian wide database of pregnant women with schizophrenia and related disorders. The study will follow the woman and her baby during pregnancy up to the first year of the baby's life.

29 Nov 2004

Postpartum depression: Beyond the 'Baby Blues'

In a culture where giving birth is often believed to be the most joyful moment in life, many women instead feel tired, sad, anxious, distracted and depressed after the baby is born.

18 Nov 2004

Large increase in male mentally ill drug abusers

The amount of mentally ill male drug abusers has increased by more than 79% in five years across England and Wales, finds research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

16 Nov 2004

New study has found that, even with prolonged sobriety, alcoholics will have difficulties completing tasks such as putting pieces of a puzzle together or map reading

A new study has found that, even with prolonged sobriety, alcoholics show deficits in visuoperception and frontal executive functioning of the brain. Furthermore, alcoholics utilize a more complex higher-order cognitive system, frontal executive functions, to perform the same tasks as individuals without a history of alcoholism. Results are published in the November issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

14 Nov 2004

Body's 'internal marijuana': A new target for treatment of schizophrenia, Parkinson's?

“Endocannabinoids” is an impressive word that sounds like the name for a group of tribal warriors or an ancient people. Actually, it is the scientific term for beneficial molecules produced in the brain that act as “a sort of internal marijuana in our system

4 Nov 2004

Children of older fathers are more likely to develop schizophrenia in later life

Research suggests that victimisation in childhood increases risk of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia or manic depression

People with psychosis report a marked excess of victimising experiences, many of which occurred during childhood, according to a new study.

2 Sep 2004

Psychosis News and Research

Further Reading

New antipsychotic drug prevents brain loss in schizophrenia

Different antipsychotic medications may have different effects on brain volume in patients with first episode of psychosis

Low levels of oral cannabis induces psychosis

Cannabis-based medicines given in a highly-controlled clinical environment unexpectedly lead to strong psychotic effects

Doubts over cannabis being a therapeutic and harmless drug

Dramatic evidence of how psychiatric disorders are underdiagnosed in hospital emergency departments

Early diagnosis and treatment is important for children and adolescents with bipolar disorder

Memory problems could be a clue to psychosis

Researchers have identified the cellular receptor for the JC virus

Newly discovered genetic defect might represent an important risk factor for major depression

Frequent cannabis use increases the risk of psychotic symptoms

A new study will research the best way to treat women with psychosis who then become pregnant

Postpartum depression: Beyond the 'Baby Blues'

Large increase in male mentally ill drug abusers

New study has found that, even with prolonged sobriety, alcoholics will have difficulties completing tasks such as putting pieces of a puzzle together or map reading

Body's 'internal marijuana': A new target for treatment of schizophrenia, Parkinson's?

Children of older fathers are more likely to develop schizophrenia in later life

Assisted living residents with dementia go undiagnosed and are not adequately treated

Ireland’s alcohol related problems cost in excess of €2.65 billion

Research suggests that victimisation in childhood increases risk of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia or manic depression

Achieving and maintaining ISO 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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