Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Researchers examine functions of neuronal diversity

Much like snowflakes, no two neurons are exactly alike. But it's not the size or shape that sets one neuron apart from another, it's the way it responds to incoming stimuli. Carnegie Mellon University researchers have discovered that this diversity is critical to overall brain function and essential in how neurons process complex stimuli and code information.

30 Aug 2010

Forest Laboratories reveals top-line results from cariprazine Phase II clinical trial for bipolar depression

Forest Laboratories, Inc. and Gedeon Richter Plc. today announced preliminary top-line results from an 8-week Phase II clinical trial of the novel, investigational antipsychotic agent cariprazine for the treatment of bipolar depression. Cariprazine is currently undergoing Phase III trials for separate indications of schizophrenia and bipolar mania.

30 Aug 2010

An overview of Schizophrenia and psychotic disorders

Schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders are a chronic and often disabling condition. Despite modern treatment techniques they still present an enormous burden to the patients and their relatives and take a serious toll in terms of human suffering and societal expenditure.

30 Aug 2010

Researchers find smoked cannabis reduces chronic neuropathic pain

For people suffering chronic pain, smoked cannabis reduces pain, improves mood and helps sleep, according to new research published in CMAJ.

30 Aug 2010

CAMH to work on blueprint from Legislative Assembly's committee for mental health services

Legislative Assembly's committee on mental health and addictions has provided Ontario with a blueprint for improving care, says the province's largest mental health and addictions hospital.

30 Aug 2010

Scientist suggests guidelines to safeguard physical health in college

College can be some of the best years of a person's life. But it is also a critical time, a time when students need to be aware of their health and safety. For women, many on their own for the first time in their lives, developing the ability to safeguard their emotional and physical health is paramount.

30 Aug 2010

GWAS finds new genetic link between Parkinson's disease and inflammation

A hunt throughout the human genome for variants associated with common, late-onset Parkinson's disease has revealed a new genetic link that implicates the immune system and offers new targets for drug development.

30 Aug 2010

New non-invasive method to diagnose osteoarthritis

Researchers at New York University have developed an innovative way to look at the development of osteoarthritis in the knee joint-one that relies on the examination of sodium ions in cartilage. Their work, which appears in the Journal of Magnetic Resonance, may provide a non-invasive method to diagnose osteoarthritis in its very early stages.

30 Aug 2010

Study finds common risk factors linked with painkiller addiction

A new Geisinger study begins to unlock the puzzle of painkiller (opioid) addiction - why some people are more likely to become addicted than others. Geisinger investigators have found that patients with four common risk factors have a significantly higher risk of addiction. In addition, a history of severe drug dependence and drug abuse compounds the risk.

30 Aug 2010

Cigarettes as mood enhancers increase risk of depression

While some teenagers may puff on cigarettes to 'self-medicate' against the blues, scientists at the University of Toronto and the University of Montreal have found that smoking may actually increase depressive symptoms in some adolescents. Published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, the findings are part of the long-term Nicotine Dependence in Teens (NDIT) study based at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre.

27 Aug 2010

Montana Gov. seeks cheaper drugs for residents; Legal immigrants may lose health insurace in Mass.

The Associated Press: "Gov. Brian Schweitzer, cooking up a new plan to get cheaper prescription drugs for state residents, said he wants to let every Montanan get discounted medicine through Medicaid." It's his most recent idea about how "to either import cheaper name-brand prescriptions or to otherwise bypass what he sees as exorbitant prices charged by 'drug cartels.'"

27 Aug 2010

Most home care clients rely on informal care from spouse or child

One in six people providing informal care to seniors experiences distress, according to a new study released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), and those caring for seniors with moderate to severe cognitive impairment, such as those with Alzheimer's or other dementia, are most at risk.

27 Aug 2010

Research: Impact of seafood components on human health

Seafood has an enormous potential to promote health. At the same time the opportunities for innovation and value creation are huge. Knowledge and documentation are the keys to success.

27 Aug 2010

SciQuest named to Inc. 500|5000 list of fastest-growing, private companies

SciQuest, Inc., a leading provider of on-demand strategic procurement and supplier enablement solutions, was once again named to the Inc. 500|5000 list of the fastest-growing, private companies in America. SciQuest first appeared on the Inc. 500|5000 list in 2007.

27 Aug 2010

National Association of Free Clinic available to uninsured residents in New Orleans

Free HIV/AIDS tests, other significant tests and medical exams (including physicals) will be available to uninsured residents of the area when the National Association of Free Clinics holds a massive free clinic in New Orleans on Aug. 31 and Sept 1.

27 Aug 2010

MTBC ranked #1976 on 2010 Inc. 5000 fastest growing private companies list

MTBC, a unique healthcare IT company, recently had the honor of being included in Inc. 5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest growing private companies. The Inc. 5000 list represents one of the most important sectors of the American economy, independent entrepreneurs. MTBC ranked at 1976, with 135% growth in revenue over a span of three years.

27 Aug 2010

Southern Diagnostic Laboratories ranked #2115 in 2010 Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Private Companies

Southern Diagnostic Laboratories, a clinical and pathology laboratory located in the Southeast, has been named to the 2010 Inc. 5000 list of America's Fastest Growing Private Companies. The company was ranked #2115 with a 123% growth rate in its first appearance on the magazine's annual list.

27 Aug 2010

Researchers recommend traumatic brain injury reclassification for additional funding

Traumatic brain injury, currently considered a singular event by the insurance industry and many health care providers, is instead the beginning of an ongoing process that impacts multiple organ systems and may cause or accelerate other diseases and disorders that can reduce life expectancy, according to research from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

27 Aug 2010

5 years after Katrina, Gulf area still struggles with access to quality health care, mental health counseling

"Finding quality health care continues to be a challenge in the New Orleans area. Five years ago, Hurricane Katrina flooded area hospitals, destroyed buildings and scattered patients. The health care industry has been slow to recover and in some cases, facilities still haven't opened. …

27 Aug 2010

Study on impact of harmful de novo gene mutations on autism, schizophrenia

An international study led by University of Montreal scientists suggests family history may not be a good predictor of the presence of mutations predisposing to autism or schizophrenia. The findings show how new or de novo gene mutations alterations of the cell's DNA play a role in these devastating conditions.

27 Aug 2010