Science News from 2002
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.