Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Simple blood test can help detect evidence of concussions up to 7 days after injury

Researchers at Orlando Health detected evidence of concussions in patients up to 7 days after their injury using a simple blood test, according to a new study published in JAMA Neurology. The discovery could greatly expand the window for diagnosing concussions, especially in patients who experience a delayed onset of symptoms.

29 Mar 2016

Lack of ARHGAP33 molecule causes neuropsychiatric disorders-related abnormal higher brain functions

A research group led by Osaka University and the University of Tokyo found that the intracellular protein trafficking is important for higher brain functions such as learning and memory. The research group showed that a molecule, ARHGAP33 regulates synaptic functions and behaviors via intracellular protein trafficking and that the lack of ARHGAP33 causes neuropsychiatric disorder-related impaired higher brain functions.

29 Mar 2016

Genetic syndrome may underlie some Parkinson's cases

Rare deletions at chromosome 22q11.2 are present at an increased rate in patients with Parkinson's disease, researchers report in The Lancet Neurology.

25 Mar 2016

Social microvolunteering app could support Alzheimer's caregivers

Every day, more than 15 million unpaid caregivers provide care to people with Alzheimer's disease, with little outside support and often at the risk of their own health.

25 Mar 2016

Researchers explore role of social media in promoting mental health, wellbeing in children

University of Leicester researchers to identify the benefits and challenges of promoting mental health through social media

24 Mar 2016

Research shows women have more risk factors for heart disease

Despite messages to the contrary, most women being seen by a doctor for the first time with suspected heart disease actually experience the same classic symptoms as men, notably chest pain and shortness of breath, according to a study led by the Duke Clinical Research Institute.

24 Mar 2016

Defective PTCHD1 gene in brain creates symptoms associated with autism and ADHD

Evidence is mounting that a gene called PTCHD1 helps the brain sort between important sights and sounds — and distractions. This gene is active in a brain region that attaches more attention to a conversation with your boss, for instance, than to an air conditioner buzzing in the background.

24 Mar 2016

Common parasitic infection linked to intermittent explosive disorder

In recent years, a common parasitic infection - as many as a third of the world's population may have it - has been linked to a range of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as behavioral dysregulation such as suicide attempts and car accidents.

24 Mar 2016

Wide-field imaging approach can help study underlying mechanisms of brain function

University of Oregon scientists have looked into the brains of living mice to see in real time the processing of sensory information and generation of behavioral responses.

24 Mar 2016

Toxoplasmosis infection may be linked to rage disorder

A new study has shown that people who have a psychiatric condition called intermittent explosive disorder (IED) are twice as likely to have been exposed to toxoplasma gondii, the parasite found in cat feces and undercooked meat.

24 Mar 2016

FDA proposes to change regulation of ECT treatment

For decades, people with severe depression, bipolar disorder, and other major mental health conditions have gotten help from the treatment known as ECT, when nothing else helped them.

24 Mar 2016

City University London opens new City TECS Smart Home Facility

Imagine a world where healthcare professionals are able to identify if patients need help at home and can immediately alert the right person - be it A&E, a fire brigade responder or family member - even before the person knows something is wrong.

24 Mar 2016

Higher oxytocin in pregnancy predicts severity of postpartum depression symptoms

Higher oxytocin levels in the third trimester of pregnancy predicts the severity of postpartum depression symptoms in women who previously suffered from depression, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

23 Mar 2016

Physical and mental well-being tied closely to one another

In a study of more than 8,000 adults, those with a chronic health condition such as diabetes or asthma were more likely to report psychological distress and functional impairment if they were residents of poor or middle-income households.

23 Mar 2016

Changes in substance use policies can significantly impact life expectancy

While average life expectancy has been rising steadily in most countries over the past century, new research led by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health shows that life expectancy declined significantly and rapidly in three countries where policy changes increased access to prescription opioids, alcohol or illicit drugs.

23 Mar 2016

Study examines depressed mother's oxytocin levels and mother-child emotional bonding

Widely referred to as the "love" hormone, oxytocin is an indispensable part of childbirth and emotional mother-child bonding. Psychologists at Florida Atlantic University are conducting a novel study to determine how a mother's levels of oxytocin might be different in women with depression.

23 Mar 2016

Synchronized waves of calcium in the brain can reduce depressive symptoms

Researchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan have discovered that the benefits of stimulating the brain with direct current come from its effects on astrocytes -- not neurons -- in the mouse brain.

23 Mar 2016

New reference guide can help HIV care providers treat chronic pain

Recent studies suggest many individuals with HIV have chronic pain. Estimates range from 39 percent all the way to 85 percent. Chronic pain is an important comorbid condition in individuals with HIV, as it is common and causes substantial disability.

22 Mar 2016

Highly educated women with BMI at increased risk of depression

Even with higher education, women with a body mass index (BMI) of 30-34.9 (obese I) have double the risk of depression compared with women of normal weight and same educational attainment, according to a new study conducted by a sociologist at Rice University.

22 Mar 2016

Women with Alzheimer’s disease have poorer cognitive abilities than men

Women with Alzheimer’s have poorer cognitive abilities than men at the same stage of the disease, reveal academics from the University of Hertfordshire in a paper published in World Journal of Psychiatry today.

22 Mar 2016