Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

New rat study shows specific genetic factors may contribute to differences in addiction among humans

Why does one person who tries cocaine get addicted, while another might use it and then leave it alone? Why do some people who kick a drug habit manage to stay clean, while others relapse? And why do some families seem more prone to addiction than others?

27 Apr 2016

RADAR-CNS programme aims to improve lives of patients with brain disorders

A major new research program supported by the Innovative Medicines Initiative launches today, which will develop new ways of monitoring major depressive disorder, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis using wearable devices and smartphone technology.

27 Apr 2016

Study reveals new function for CACNA1C gene in psychiatric diseases

A new study shows the death of newborn brain cells may be linked to a genetic risk factor for five major psychiatric diseases, and at the same time shows a compound currently being developed for use in humans may have therapeutic value for these diseases by preventing the cells from dying.

27 Apr 2016

Innovations in pre-clinical MRI: an interview with Priv. Doz. Dr. Dominik von Elverfeldt

To me the most exciting aspect of pre-clinical imaging is its broad range, from very basic science up to applied science. You deal with a range of disciplines including biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, biophysics, cell biology and of course medicine, as the aim is the translation of research to humans.

From Bruker BioSpin Group 27 Apr 2016

UAB receives $2.86 million NIH grant to study effectiveness of cognitive training in older adults with HAND

University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Professor David Vance, Ph.D., has received a five-year, $2.86 million R01 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health for a study to determine whether quality of life of middle-aged and older adults with HIV can be improved by enhancing cognitive functioning through speed of processing training.

26 Apr 2016

Nutritional supplements can enhance effectiveness of antidepressants

An international evidence review has found that certain nutritional supplements can increase the effectiveness of antidepressants for people with clinical depression.

26 Apr 2016

Light-sensitive serotonin receptors may help study causes of anxiety, depression

Anxiety and depression are two of the most frequently occurring mental disorders worldwide. Light-activated nerve cells may indicate how they are formed.

26 Apr 2016

Early maternal support boosts robust brain growth in kids

Children whose mothers were nurturing during the preschool years, as opposed to later in childhood, have more robust growth in brain structures associated with learning, memory and stress response than children with less supportive moms, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

26 Apr 2016

Derriford Appearance Scale 24 helps identify quality-of-life issues for breast cancer patients

A new study produced by an interdisciplinary team led by Prof. Antonio Giordano, director of the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine at Temple University, tracks the development process and efficacy of the Italian translation of the Derriford Appearance Scale 24, an important clinical tool in identifying quality-of-life issues for breast cancer patients, especially concerns regarding body shame, depression, anxiety, overall appearance and appearance identity.

26 Apr 2016

UK charity Action on Hearing Loss funds new project to develop medicines for hearing loss

Today, UK charity Action on Hearing Loss announces a major investment to fund a new project to develop medicines to treat age-related hearing loss and noise-induced hearing loss at BioTrinity 2016 – Europe’s Leading Investment and Biopartnering Conference.

26 Apr 2016

Single season of contact sports can cause measurable brain changes

Repeated impacts to the heads of high school football players cause measurable changes in their brains, even when no concussion occurs, according to research from UT Southwestern Medical Center's Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute and Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

26 Apr 2016

Researchers find strong possibility of preventing, curing neurological conditions using gut bacteria

Could bacteria in your gut be used to cure or prevent neurological conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety or even depression? Two researchers sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) think that's a strong possibility.

26 Apr 2016

Same genetic changes responsible for gastrointestinal problems in children with autism

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have found evidence in mice that, for some types of autism, gastrointestinal difficulties may originate from the same genetic changes that lead to the behavioral and social characteristics of the condition. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

26 Apr 2016

FDA intends to ban electrical stimulation devices to ensure safety, well-being of patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced a proposal to ban electrical stimulation devices (ESDs) used for self-injurious or aggressive behavior because they present an unreasonable and substantial risk to public health that cannot be corrected or eliminated through changes to the labeling.

25 Apr 2016

Lab-grown mini-brains shed light on health crisis posed by Zika virus in fetal brains

Studying a new type of pinhead-size, lab-grown brain made with technology first suggested by three high school students, Johns Hopkins researchers have confirmed a key way in which Zika virus causes microcephaly and other damage in fetal brains: by infecting specialized stem cells that build its outer layer, the cortex.

25 Apr 2016

Bupropion, varenicline drugs do not increase risk of serious neuropsychiatric adverse events

Compared to the nicotine patch and a placebo, the smoking cessation aids varenicline (marketed as Chantix in the U.S.) and bupropion (Zyban) do not show a significant increase in neuropsychiatric adverse events, reports an international team of researchers in a study published online April 22 in the journal The Lancet.

25 Apr 2016

Type 2 diabetes can lead to hearing impairment

A review of studies of possible linkages between type 2 diabetes and hearing impairment concludes there is compelling evidence that diabetes can damage the auditory system, and that clinicians should include hearing testing in managing type 2 diabetes. The survey results were published in an article titled, "Type 2 Diabetes and Hearing Impairment" in the journal, Current Diabetes Reports.

25 Apr 2016

Fructose common in western diet can damage brain genes

A range of diseases -- from diabetes to cardiovascular disease, and from Alzheimer's disease to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder -- are linked to changes to genes in the brain. A new study by UCLA life scientists has found that hundreds of those genes can be damaged by fructose, a sugar that's common in the Western diet, in a way that could lead to those diseases.

25 Apr 2016

Why don’t MS patients always engage with specialists? An interview with Dr Anita Rose

The recent survey you ask about was conducted by the MS Trust in 2012. It revealed that nearly one fifth of respondents had seen neither an MS specialist nurse (MSSN) nor a neurologist in the past year, and so will not have received the comprehensive annual review recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

25 Apr 2016

Under-expressed miR-9 gene may contribute to schizophrenia risk

By turning skin cells into brain neurons, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified that certain tiny molecules aiding in gene expression, known as microRNAs (miRNAs), are under-expressed in the brains of the 14 schizophrenia patients they studied. Their findings, published online today in the journal Cell Reports, show that one of these molecules, a miRNA known as miR-9, is a risk factor that controls the activity of hundreds of genes.

22 Apr 2016

Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

New rat study shows specific genetic factors may contribute to differences in addiction among humans

RADAR-CNS programme aims to improve lives of patients with brain disorders

Study reveals new function for CACNA1C gene in psychiatric diseases

Innovations in pre-clinical MRI: an interview with Priv. Doz. Dr. Dominik von Elverfeldt

UAB receives $2.86 million NIH grant to study effectiveness of cognitive training in older adults with HAND

Nutritional supplements can enhance effectiveness of antidepressants

Light-sensitive serotonin receptors may help study causes of anxiety, depression

Early maternal support boosts robust brain growth in kids

Derriford Appearance Scale 24 helps identify quality-of-life issues for breast cancer patients

UK charity Action on Hearing Loss funds new project to develop medicines for hearing loss

Single season of contact sports can cause measurable brain changes

Researchers find strong possibility of preventing, curing neurological conditions using gut bacteria

Same genetic changes responsible for gastrointestinal problems in children with autism

FDA intends to ban electrical stimulation devices to ensure safety, well-being of patients

Lab-grown mini-brains shed light on health crisis posed by Zika virus in fetal brains

Bupropion, varenicline drugs do not increase risk of serious neuropsychiatric adverse events

Type 2 diabetes can lead to hearing impairment

Fructose common in western diet can damage brain genes

Why don’t MS patients always engage with specialists? An interview with Dr Anita Rose

Under-expressed miR-9 gene may contribute to schizophrenia risk

Exploring the nanoscale: How AFM is transforming cosmetic science

Innovating Texture and Culture in Plant-Based Foods

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Exploring the nanoscale: How AFM is transforming cosmetic science

Innovating Texture and Culture in Plant-Based Foods

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

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