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- Schizophrenia-Related Gene Linked to Imbalance in Dopamine Pathways
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December 17, 2007
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Science Update
Forms of a gene known to increase risk for schizophrenia may create an imbalance in brain pathways for dopamine, suggests a recent study by NIMH scientists. The findings could help explain how this key chemical messenger goes awry in the disorder, which affects about one percent of adults.
- Depression’s Flip Side Shares its Circuitry
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December 14, 2007
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Science Update
Humans tend to be overly optimistic about the future, sometimes underestimating risks and making unrealistic plans, notes NIMH grantee Elizabeth Phelps, Ph.D., New York University. Yet “a moderate optimistic illusion” appears to be essential for maintaining motivation and good mental health
- Researchers Suggest Updating Criteria for HIV-associated Neurocognitive Disorders
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November 8, 2007
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Science Update
After 10 years since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the criteria for classifying HIV-related neurocognitive disorders may need to be revised and updated.
- Memory-sustaining Enzyme May Help Treat PTSD, Cognitive Decline
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November 2, 2007
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Science Update
Chemically blocking an enzyme in a specific area in the brain’s cortex, or outer mantle, erased a long-term memory of an aversive event that rats had learned, a study funded in part by NIMH has found.
- New Social Neuroscience Grants to Help Unravel Autism, Anxiety Disorders
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October 10, 2007
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Science Update
How genes and the environment shape the brain circuitry underlying social behavior is among the questions being addressed by three newly NIMH-funded studies.
- Bipolar Disorder Phenome Database May Aid Search for Related Genes
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October 2, 2007
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Science Update
Early findings from the recently launched Bipolar Disorder Phenome Database were published in the August 2007 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
- Gene Triggers Obsessive Compulsive Disorder-Like Syndrome in Mice
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August 22, 2007
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Press Release
Using genetic engineering, researchers have created an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) - like set of behaviors in mice and reversed them with antidepressants and genetic targeting of a key brain circuit. The study, by NIH-funded researchers, suggests new strategies for treating the disorder.
- New Studies Search for Clues to Mental Illness in Gatekeepers of Gene Expression
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August 10, 2007
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Science Update
What goes awry in the brain to cause mental illness may ultimately be traced to glitches in genes - but not necessarily the parts of genes commonly suspected. Rather than the areas of genes that code for proteins, the secrets may be hidden in mysterious short sequences of genetic material called microRNAs.
- New Technique Pinpoints Crossroads of Depression in Rat Brain
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August 2, 2007
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Science Update
NIMH-funded scientists have developed a new high-speed technique for imaging brain activity and used it to pinpoint a circuit signal in rats that may be at the crossroads of depression.
- Study Offers Glimpse of Molecules That Keep Memories Alive
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July 2, 2007
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Science Update
Working memory is a kind of temporary-storage system in the brain. Unlike long-term memory, it stores disposable information we must keep in mind only transiently, for tasks at hand. But how?
