Schizophrenia News and Research

Latest Schizophrenia News and Research

Suicidal ideation link to suicide strong in schizophrenia spectrum disorders

The association between suicidal ideation and later suicide is much stronger in patients with schizophrenia spectrum psychosis than in those with mood disorders, show results of a systematic meta-analysis.

13 Nov 2014

Scientists receive NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Grants for mental health research

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation today announced the award of NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Grants valued at $1.5 million to 15 scientists, who are full professors or the equivalent, conducting innovative projects in diverse areas of neurobiological and behavioral research.

13 Nov 2014

Schizophrenia symptom severity predicts atypical antipsychotic benefit

Atypical antipsychotic drugs benefit patients with acute schizophrenia across the full spectrum of symptom severity, as well as highly symptomatic patients with predominantly negative symptoms, suggests a meta-analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry.

12 Nov 2014

UM researchers develop novel, family-focused, culturally-informed treatment for schizophrenia

Researchers at the University of Miami have developed a family-focused, culturally-informed treatment for schizophrenia (CIT-S). The program is one of the first to incorporate elements of the patient's cultural background as part of therapy.

11 Nov 2014

Cue processing altered in siblings of schizophrenia patients

The siblings of patients with schizophrenia have altered activity in the ventral striatum during reward anticipation and receipt, a study shows.

6 Nov 2014

Mortality gap persists for elderly men with severe mental disorders

The excess mortality experienced by men with severe mental disorders, compared with their mentally healthy peers, does not decrease with age, Australian research shows.

5 Nov 2014

Accumulated environmental risks have substantial impact on schizophrenia

Accumulation of environmental risk factors has a “huge” effect on age at schizophrenia onset, German researchers report.

31 Oct 2014

Paternal age increases schizophrenia risk independently of IQ

Being born to an older father increases the risk of developing a schizophrenia spectrum disorder in adulthood but has no effect on premorbid IQ, say researchers from Denmark.

30 Oct 2014

Physical health management below par in schizophrenia patients

The diagnosis and treatment of physical ailments in patients with schizophrenia falls below acceptable standards, shows a national audit of patients in England and Wales.

30 Oct 2014

Neurocrine Biosciences' NBI-98854 drug gets breakthrough designation for tardive dyskinesia

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for its Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 inhibitor, NBI-98854, in tardive dyskinesia.

30 Oct 2014

UCSD researchers validate EEG test to study, treat schizophrenia

Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have validated an EEG test to study and treat schizophrenia. The findings, published in two separate studies, offer a clinical test that could be used to help diagnose persons at risk for developing mental illness later in life, as well as an approach for measuring the efficacies of different treatment options.

29 Oct 2014

Teen binge drinking effects may last a lifetime, suggests UMass Amherst study

Binge drinking can have lasting effects on brain pathways that are still developing during adolescence, say neuroscience researcher Heather N. Richardson and her colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Louisiana State University.

29 Oct 2014

Study finds that mental health disorders double heart disease, stroke risks

People facing mental health challenges are significantly more likely to have heart disease or stroke, according to a study presented today at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.

28 Oct 2014

Dietary cocoa flavanols can reverse age-related memory decline in healthy older adults

Dietary cocoa flavanols—naturally occurring bioactives found in cocoa—reversed age-related memory decline in healthy older adults, according to a study led by Columbia University Medical Center scientists.

27 Oct 2014

Engineered cells reveal changes associated with learning, memory and reward

Scientists have created cells with fluorescent dyes that change color in response to specific neurochemicals. By implanting these cells into living mammalian brains, they have shown how neurochemical signaling changes as a food reward drives learning, they report in Nature Methods online October 26.

27 Oct 2014

Genetics underpin bullying victimisation influence on paranoia

Bullying victimisation in childhood may indicate genetic risk for later psychosis, rather than being an environmental trigger, say UK researchers.

22 Oct 2014

Changing placebo response dilutes antipsychotic trial power

Factors including patients’ expectations may underlie an increased placebo response in antipsychotic randomised controlled trials published since 1960, say researchers.

22 Oct 2014

Omeros provides update on OMS824 for treatment of schizophrenia, Huntington's disease

Omeros Corporation today provided an update on OMS824, the company's phosphodiesterase 10 (PDE10) inhibitor in development for the treatment of schizophrenia and Huntington's disease.

21 Oct 2014

Fatty fish intake appears to increase antidepressant response rates

Up to half of patients who suffer from depression (Major Depressive Disorder, or MDD) do not respond to treatment with SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors). Now a group of Dutch researchers have carried out a study which shows that increasing fatty fish intake appears to increase the response rate in patients who do not respond to antidepressants.

21 Oct 2014

Aspirin can improve efficacy of schizophrenia treatments

A new study shows that some anti-inflammatory medicines, such as aspirin, estrogen, and Fluimucil, can improve the efficacy of existing schizophrenia treatments. This work is being presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology conference in Berlin.

20 Oct 2014