Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation: an interview with Dr Leon Ekchian, President and CEO of NeuroSigma

Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (TNS) is a novel medical treatment in which mild electrical signals stimulate branches of the trigeminal nerve in order to change the activity of targeted brain regions. The trigeminal nerve is the largest cranial nerve, and provides sensation to the face and head. Because it is a large sensory nerve, the trigeminal offers a high-bandwidth pathway for electrical signals to enter the brain. The brain areas targeted by TNS are known to play key roles in seizures, mood, and attention.

14 Sep 2012

Longer looks: The smells to treat PTSD; Nudging healthy choices; When a disabled daughter was shunned

On an Orlando college campus, veterans and active duty soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder inhale the unmistakable smell of burning tires, rotting garbage and Middle Eastern spices as part of a virtual reality treatment for the psychological wounds of war. Participants sit in a chair wearing a head-mounted display and video goggles connected to a computer system and a scent machine that puffs out the odors, recreating their memories of war.

14 Sep 2012

Men with divorced parents more likely to develop stroke

Men with divorced parents are significantly more likely to suffer a stroke than men from intact families, shows a new study from the University of Toronto.

14 Sep 2012

SAMHSA announces STOP ACT grant program to prevent underage drinking

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Administrator Pamela S. Hyde today announced the award and anticipated future funding of 81 new grants, totaling up to $15.1 million over four years, to prevent underage drinking through the Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act (STOP ACT) grant program.

14 Sep 2012

Moderate exercise may help people cope with future anxiety and stress

Moderate exercise may help people cope with anxiety and stress for an extended period of time post-workout, according to a study by kinesiology researchers in the University of Maryland School of Public Health published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

14 Sep 2012

Roundup: Portland to add flouride to city water; Fla. officials probe federal report of disabled children forced to nursing homes; Regulators find Minn. hospital violated federal patient protection laws

Over jeers and cheers from the audience, commissioners on the Portland, Ore., City Council voted Wednesday to add fluoride to the city's drinking water starting in 2014. Portland is the largest American city that doesn't add fluoride to its drinking water. But some groups have raised questions about the possible risks from fluoridation and oppose its use.

14 Sep 2012

Social cognition reduced in FEP, UHR patients

First-episode psychosis patients show widespread impairments in social cognition, and such impairments are also evident, albeit to a lesser extent, in those at ultra-high risk for psychosis, researchers report.

13 Sep 2012

Kynurenic acid levels reduced in suicide attempters with schizophrenia

Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of kynurenic acid are significantly lower in schizophrenia-spectrum patients with a history of suicide attempts than in those without, researchers report.

13 Sep 2012

Stigma impacts functioning in bipolar disorder

Higher levels of perceived stigma are associated with poorer functioning in patients with bipolar disorder, research shows.

13 Sep 2012

Think ‘glass half full’ to reduce pain after breast surgery

Women who undergo surgery for breast cancer are less likely to experience postoperative pain if they have an optimistic personality, but are more likely to experience it if they already had preoperative pain, shows an analysis of the Study of Recovery after Breast Surgery.

13 Sep 2012

Multiple interventions improve medication adherence for patients with chronic conditions

Although patients with chronic conditions who do not take medications as prescribed tend to have poorer health outcomes and higher health care costs than those who adhere to medication regimens, a new report sheds light on the potential for multiple interventions to improve medication adherence.

13 Sep 2012

SAMHSA announces $2.3M in funding to help 11 new statewide consumer networks

Up to $2.3 million in funding will help up to 11 new statewide consumer networks strengthen coalitions among consumers, peers, policymakers, and service providers, Pamela S. Hyde, the administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced today.

13 Sep 2012

Drugs to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia may increase risk of driving accident

Drugs prescribed to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia may increase patients’ risk of being involved in motor vehicle accidents, according to a recent study, published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Based on the findings, the researchers suggested doctors should consider advising patients not to drive while taking these drugs.

13 Sep 2012

GPs not always using reliable online resources for information on tinnitus

GPs are not always using the most comprehensive and reliable online resources to support them in treating patients with the debilitating hearing condition tinnitus, researchers have found.

13 Sep 2012

First study to report on vitamin D levels in large groups of critically ill children

Vitamin D is increasingly being recognized as important for good health. Vitamin D is a hormone made in the skin following sun exposure or acquired from diet and supplement intake. Previous medical research has shown that low body levels of vitamin D make people more susceptible to problems such as bone fractures, poor mental health and infections like the common cold.

13 Sep 2012

Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer launch new joint venture

Pfizer Inc., the world's largest research-based pharmaceutical company, and Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceuticals, a leading Chinese pharmaceutical company, today announced the launch of Hisun-Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., a joint venture formed between the two companies to develop, manufacture and commercialize off-patent pharmaceutical products in China and global markets.

13 Sep 2012

Roundup: Mich. Gov. proposes making BCBS a tax-paying insurer; Merger creates one of largest hospitals in Conn.; W. Va. chiropractor board scrutinized

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan would no longer be exempt from about $100 million a year in state and local taxes but would be subject to more streamlined and speedier rate reviews and approvals under legislation proposed today by Gov. Rick Snyder. The nonprofit health insurer would also pay $1.5 billion over 18 years into a separate nonprofit aimed at tackling issues such as obesity and infant mortality to improve the health of all Michigan residents, Snyder said at a news conference.

13 Sep 2012

Hallucinations, delusions linked to poorer outcomes in general population

The occurrence of hallucinations and delusions is associated with poorer mental health outcomes in the nonclinical general population, researchers report.

12 Sep 2012

Exercise and health: An interview with Professor Karim Khan

I’ll quote from the ‘7 investments’ document (see below) as I don’t believe we need to reinvent the wheel to argue for the benefits of exercise. I am very keen to move to the issue of ‘how can we help people exercise’. But for the record:

12 Sep 2012

Health ambiguity strongly linked to depression among male stroke survivors

Post-stroke depression is a major issue affecting approximately 33% of stroke survivors. A new study published in the current issue of Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation reports that the level to which survivors are uncertain about the outcome of their illness is strongly linked to depression. The relationship is more pronounced for men than for women.

12 Sep 2012

Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation: an interview with Dr Leon Ekchian, President and CEO of NeuroSigma

Longer looks: The smells to treat PTSD; Nudging healthy choices; When a disabled daughter was shunned

Men with divorced parents more likely to develop stroke

SAMHSA announces STOP ACT grant program to prevent underage drinking

Moderate exercise may help people cope with future anxiety and stress

Roundup: Portland to add flouride to city water; Fla. officials probe federal report of disabled children forced to nursing homes; Regulators find Minn. hospital violated federal patient protection laws

Social cognition reduced in FEP, UHR patients

Kynurenic acid levels reduced in suicide attempters with schizophrenia

Stigma impacts functioning in bipolar disorder

Think ‘glass half full’ to reduce pain after breast surgery

Multiple interventions improve medication adherence for patients with chronic conditions

SAMHSA announces $2.3M in funding to help 11 new statewide consumer networks

Drugs to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia may increase risk of driving accident

GPs not always using reliable online resources for information on tinnitus

First study to report on vitamin D levels in large groups of critically ill children

Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer launch new joint venture

Roundup: Mich. Gov. proposes making BCBS a tax-paying insurer; Merger creates one of largest hospitals in Conn.; W. Va. chiropractor board scrutinized

Hallucinations, delusions linked to poorer outcomes in general population

Exercise and health: An interview with Professor Karim Khan

Health ambiguity strongly linked to depression among male stroke survivors

Fluidics in Modern Healthcare & Medical Device Innovation

Scaling 3D biology: Automation, imaging, and the future of high-throughput research

How does norepinephrine influence anxiety-related behaviours?

Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Fluidics in Modern Healthcare & Medical Device Innovation

Scaling 3D biology: Automation, imaging, and the future of high-throughput research

How does norepinephrine influence anxiety-related behaviours?

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