Psychiatry News and Research

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Psychiatry is the treatment, study and prevention of mental disorders.

Brain protein that causes Alzheimer's also protects against the disease

Findings from a new study on Alzheimer's disease could eventually help clinicians identify people at the highest risk for developing the progressive brain disorder.

10 Feb 2021

Scientists implicate disruption in prenatal neurogenesis in the development of autism

A new study of autism risk genes by UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley scientists implicates disruption in prenatal neurogenesis - a process in which specialized "progenitor" cells give rise to new brain cells - in the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

9 Feb 2021

New report highlights coffee's effect on sleep

The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) published a new report today, titled 'Coffee and sleep in everyday lives', authored by Professor Renata Riha, from the Department of Sleep Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.

5 Feb 2021

Scientists identify specific genes associated with post-traumatic stress disorder

A research team has found 18 specific, fixed positions on chromosomes (called loci) that seem to be linked to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

29 Jan 2021

Caffeinated coffee helps to minimize reductions in attention and cognitive function

A new study exploring the impact of repeated sleep loss during a simulated working week has found that consuming caffeinated coffee during the day helps to minimize reductions in attention and cognitive function, compared to decaffeinated coffee.

22 Jan 2021

Metabolites may be predictive indicators for recurrent major depressive disorder

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, in collaboration with Dutch scientists, have found that certain metabolites -- small molecules produced by the process of metabolism -- may be predictive indicators for persons at risk for recurrent major depressive disorder.

13 Jan 2021

Many light smokers meet the criteria for nicotine addiction

Even people who consider themselves to be casual cigarette smokers may be addicted, according to current diagnostic criteria. Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine and Duke University found that many light smokers -- those who smoke one to four cigarettes per day or fewer -- meet the criteria for nicotine addiction and should therefore be considered for treatment.

24 Dec 2020

Study shows how the brain navigates places and tracks someone else in the same location

As COVID cases rise, physically distancing yourself from other people has never been more important. Now a new UCLA study reveals how your brain navigates places and monitors someone else in the same location.

24 Dec 2020

Study shows cocaine use in mice leads to formation of synapses

Drugs of abuse, like cocaine, are so addictive due in part to their cellular interaction, creating strong cellular memories in the brain that promote compulsive behaviors.

16 Oct 2020

Scientists develop new antimicrobial molecules from toxic proteins in wasp venom

A team led by scientists in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has engineered powerful new antimicrobial molecules from toxic proteins found in wasp venom.

13 Oct 2020

New findings help to better understand the genetics of neuropsychiatric disorders

A new study led by NorthShore University HealthSystem (NorthShore) and the University of Chicago took a novel approach to identifying SNPs influencing the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar and major depressive disorder, the institutions announced today.

5 Aug 2020

Machine learning can increase effectiveness of drug repurposing for psychiatric disorders

Artificial intelligence can increase the effectiveness of drug repositioning or repurposing research, according to a study published in Translational Psychiatry.

4 Aug 2020

Study shows cathepsin B can be used as biomarker for traumatic brain injury

Scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute for Research (WRAIR) have recently demonstrated that cathepsin B, a well-studied protein important to brain development and function, can be used as biomarker, or indicator of severity, for traumatic brain injury.

14 Jul 2020

Brain's dedicated immune cells clear paths through 'scaffolding' to let neurons talk

To make new memories, our brain cells first must find one another. Small protrusions that bud out from the ends of neurons' long, branching tentacles dock neurons together so they can talk.

7 Jul 2020

Region-specific atlas reveals genome linked to human embryonic brain development

An adjusted sequence of genetic events should occur to allow the budding brain of a human embryo to turn into the organ that regulates human consciousness.

1 Jul 2020

Chemist Develops Potential Drug To Treat Type 2 Diabetes Without Harsh Side Effects

Professor Dr. Robert P. Doyle has developed a new drug to treat type 2 diabetes in millions of patients who are seeking to better control their blood sugar.

24 Jun 2020

Fish Oil May Help With Depression

A study shows that patient-derived adult stem cells can be used to model major depressive disorder and test how a patient may respond to medication.

17 Jun 2020

Disrupted circadian rhythms in older adults linked to increased risk of Parkinson's disease

Older men who have a weak or irregular circadian rhythm guiding their daily cycles of rest and activity are more likely to later develop Parkinson's disease, according to a new study by scientists at the UC San Francisco Weill Institute for Neurosciences who analyzed 11 years of data for nearly 3,000 independently living older men.

16 Jun 2020

Researchers identify 29 genetic variants linked to problematic drinking

Scientists carried out a genome-wide analysis of over 435,000 people, revealing 29 genetic variants associated with problematic drinking.

27 May 2020

Genetic discoveries raise the promise of developing new treatments for schizophrenia

In recent years, genome-wide association studies have identified many different genetic variants associated with schizophrenia.

22 May 2020