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Science News from 2002

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News from 2002

Mouse Gene Knockout Illuminates How Light Resets Clock
December 13, 2002 · Press Release · A key role in synchronizing daily rhythms to the day/night cycle has been traced to a light-sensitive protein in the eye, by knocking out the gene that codes for it.
Psychiatric Disorders Common Among Detained Youth
December 10, 2002 · Press Release · Among teens in juvenile detention, nearly two thirds of boys and nearly three quarters of girls have at least one psychiatric disorder, a federally funded study has found.
Mimicking Brain’s ”All Clear” Quells Fear in Rats
November 6, 2002 · Press Release · Researchers funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have discovered a high tech way to quell panic in rats.
Preventive Sessions After Divorce Protect Children into Teens
October 15, 2002 · Press Release · Divorcing families who participated in a prevention program markedly reduced the likelihood of their children developing mental disorders as adolescents, say NIMH-funded scientists.
Brain Shrinkage in ADHD Not Caused by Medications
October 8, 2002 · Press Release · A 10-year study by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) scientists has found that brains of children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are 3-4 percent smaller than those of children who don't have the disorder—and that medication treatment is not the cause.
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders: Are Children Being Overmedicated?
September 26, 2002 · Press Release · ADHD is the most extensively studied mental disorder of children, with several thousands of peer–reviewed papers in the scientific literature devoted to this topic. ADHD—which affects an estimated 3-5 percent or 2 million young school-age children and an unknown number of teenagers and adults—refers to a family of related chronic neurobiological disorders that interfere with an individual’s capacity to regulate activity level, inhibit behavior, and attend to tasks in developmentally appropriate ways.
NIH Awards Grants for Two New Autism Research Centers
September 18, 2002 · Press Release · The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced grants totaling $19 million to support the first two research centers of a major network of facilities to focus on the biomedical and behavioral aspects of autism.
Thomas R. Insel, M.D., Named New Director of the National Institute of Mental Health
September 10, 2002 · Press Release · Elias Zerhouni, M.D., Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced the appointment of Thomas R. Insel, M.D., as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Early Mental Health Intervention Reduces Mass Violence Trauma
September 6, 2002 · Press Release · Early psychological intervention guided by qualified mental health caregivers can reduce the harmful psychological and emotional effects of exposure to mass violence in survivors, according to a national conference report released today.
Even Neurons Have Favorite Numbers
September 5, 2002 · Press Release · Scientists have discovered individual brain cells that represent the concept of numbers.
NIMH Study Finds Anti-Psychotic Medication Useful in Treating Serious Behavioral Problems among Children with Autism
July 31, 2002 · Press Release · One of a newer class of anti-psychotic medications was successful and well tolerated for the treatment of serious behavioral disturbances associated with autistic disorder in children ages 5 to 17.
Drug Targets Brain Circuits that Drive Appetite and Body Weight
July 25, 2002 · Press Release · Research conducted in animals has revealed that an appetite suppressant drug, D-–fenfluramine (D–FEN), activates brain pathways that regulate food intake and body weight.
Gene May Bias Amygdala Response to Frightful Faces
July 18, 2002 · Press Release · The amygdala, the brain structure known as the hub of fear, responds differently to pictures of scary faces, depending on which version of a gene one has inherited, report National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) scientists.
“Power Nap” Prevents Burnout; Morning Sleep Perfects a Skill
July 2, 2002 · Press Release · Evidence is mounting that sleep — even a nap — appears to enhance information processing and learning.
Parents Can Learn to be Effective AIDS Educators for their Children
June 24, 2002 · Press Release · Researchers funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) are training parents to teach their young children the knowledge and skills needed to protect themselves from HIV infection.
Distinguished NIMH Scientist Richard Jed Wyatt Dies
June 14, 2002 · Press Release · Schizophrenia researcher Richard Jed Wyatt, M.D., Chief, Neuropsychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, died June 7, 2002, at the age of 63, after a long bout with cancer.
Longtime NIMH Colleague Hazel Rea Dies at 91
June 14, 2002 · Press Release · Hazel Rea, who joined the fledgling NIMH Intramural Research Program (IRP) in 1949 as a secretary and rose through the ranks to become its deputy director, died in her home on May 18, 2002, three months after her 91st birthday.
Brain Signal Boosts as Monkey Nears Reward
May 30, 2002 · Press Release · Delaying gratification while working toward a goal appears to have roots in a specific brain circuit.
Placebo, Antidepressant May Lift Depression Via Common Mechanism
May 1, 2002 · Press Release · Whether it’s a widely prescribed medication or a placebo, a successful treatment for depression must trigger a common pattern of brain activity changes, suggests a team of researchers funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.
NIMH Awards New Grants in Response to Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001
April 18, 2002 · Press Release · The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has awarded new grants for research on mental health needs resulting from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Timing of Chemical Signal Critical for Normal Emotional Development
March 27, 2002 · Press Release · A signaling protein suspected of malfunctioning in anxiety and mood disorders plays a key role in the development of emotional behavior, report researchers funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
$6 Million Grant to Expand Search for Autism Genes
March 11, 2002 · Press Release · The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) today awarded the first installment of an expected $6 million grant over 5 years to researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for major expansion of a collaborative effort to identify autism genes.
Scans Link 2 Key Pieces of Schizophrenia Puzzle
January 28, 2002 · Press Release · Using functional brain imaging, National Institute of Mental Health scientists for the first time have linked two key, but until now unconnected, brain abnormalities in schizophrenia.
NIMH Awards Howard University $6.5 Million
January 25, 2002 · Press Release · Howard University Hospital Department of Psychiatry in the College of Medicine (HUCM) has been awarded $6.5 million from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) for a five-year project to implement and develop research studies pertaining to mood and anxiety disorders.
NIMH Web Information on Child, Adolescent Mental Health Honored
January 15, 2002 · Press Release · The NIMH web site has been awarded a five-star rating by the Tufts University Child & Family WebGuide for its child and adolescent mental health information.
Institute Names Acting Deputy Director
January 4, 2002 · Press Release · Wayne S. Fenton, M.D., has been appointed Acting Deputy Director of the NIMH.