Science News
Find Press Releases and Science Updates by Topic
- Depression Patients’ Brain Circuitry Makes Them Vulnerable to Relapse
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August 1, 2008
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Science Update
Using brain imaging, NIMH researchers have produced direct evidence that people prone to depression -- even when they’re feeling well -- have abnormal mood-regulating brain circuitry. This makes them vulnerable to relapse when levels of certain key brain chemical messengers plummet. - Mechanism for Postpartum Depression Found in Mice
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July 30, 2008
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Press Release
Researchers have pinpointed a mechanism in the brains of mice that could explain why some human mothers become depressed following childbirth. The discovery could lead to improved treatment for postpartum depression. Supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health, of the National Institutes of Health, the study used genetically engineered mice lacking a protein critical for adapting to the sex hormone fluctuations of pregnancy and the postpartum period. - Increased Burden of Rare Genetic Variations Found in Schizophrenia
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July 30, 2008
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Press Release
People with schizophrenia bear an “increased burden” of rare deletions and duplications of genetic material, genome-wide, say researchers supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). - Errant Stress/Immune Indicators Detected in Depression-Prone Women’s Sweat
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July 29, 2008
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Science Update
An experimental skin patch test detected abnormal levels of markers for immune function and stress in the sweat of women with histories of depression, NIMH researchers say. If confirmed, the non-invasive technique could become an easier alternative to a blood test for predicting risk for inflammatory disorders, such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes, which often occur with depression. - Health Risks Associated with Certain Antipsychotics Warrant Extra Monitoring
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July 24, 2008
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Science Update
Some atypical antipsychotics may be more likely than others to cause metabolic and cardiovascular side effects, according to recent analyses using data from the NIMH-funded Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE). - Age-related Decline of ADHD Symptoms Disrupted by Middle School
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July 21, 2008
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Science Update
Although symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) can last into adulthood, typically they decline as a child gets older. - Newer Antipsychotics No Better Than Older Medications in Reducing Schizophrenia-related Violence
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July 11, 2008
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Science Update
Antipsychotic medications can reduce the risk of violence among people with schizophrenia, but the newer atypical antipsychotics are no more effective in doing so than older medications. - Common Mechanisms May Underlie Autism’s Seemingly Diverse Mutations
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July 10, 2008
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Press Release
Many of the seemingly disparate mutations recently discovered in autism may share common underlying mechanisms, say researchers supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The mutations may disrupt specific genes that are vital to the developing brain, and which are turned on and off by experience-triggered neuronal activity. - Abnormal Surge in Brain Development Occurs in Teens and Young Adults with Schizophrenia
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July 8, 2008
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Science Update
Schizophrenia may occur, in part, because brain development goes awry during adolescence and young adulthood, when the brain is eliminating some connections between cells as a normal part of maturation, results of a study suggest. The new report appears online July 8, 2008 in Molecular Psychiatry. - NIMH Schizophrenia Initiative Featured in Biological Psychiatry
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July 3, 2008
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Science Update
An NIMH initiative to fill the gap between advances in basic cognitive neuroscience and practical clinical applications for patients with schizophrenia is the topic of the July 1, 2008 issue of Biological Psychiatry. It contains eight articles on the Cognitive Neuroscience Approaches to the Treatment of Impaired Cognition in Schizophrenia (CNTRICS) initiative, including a commentary, and descriptions of meetings related to the effort.
