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- Cortex Area Thinner in Youth with Alzheimer’s-Related Gene
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April 24, 2007
Press Release
A part of the brain first affected by Alzheimer’s disease is thinner in youth with a risk gene for the disorder, a brain imaging study by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has found. - Benefits of Antidepressants May Outweigh Risks for Kids
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April 17, 2007
Science Update
The benefits of antidepressant medications likely outweigh their risks to children and adolescents with major depression and anxiety disorders, according to a new comprehensive review of pediatric trials conducted between 1988 and 2006. The study, partially funded by NIMH, was published in the April 18, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. - Gene Knockout Unleashes Manic Mouse
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April 5, 2007
Science Update
Mice engineered to lack a specific gene showed behaviors similar to human mania in a study funded in part by NIMH; they were hyperactive, slept less, appeared less depressed and anxious, and craved sugar, cocaine and pleasure stimulation. - Scientists Switch Neurons On and Off Using Light
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April 5, 2007
Science Update
Researchers have invented a genetically-engineered way to turn the electrical impulses of brain cells on and off with pulses of blue and yellow light — in synch with the split-second pace of real time neuronal activity. - Intensive Psychotherapy More Effective Than Brief Therapy for Treating Bipolar Depression
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April 2, 2007
Press Release
Patients taking medications to treat bipolar disorder are more likely to get well faster and stay well if they receive intensive psychotherapy, according to results from the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD), funded by NIMH. - Study Sheds Light on Medication Treatment Options for Bipolar Disorder
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March 28, 2007
Press Release
For depressed people with bipolar disorder who are taking a mood stabilizer, adding an antidepressant medication is no more effective than a placebo (sugar pill), according to results published online on March 28, 2007 in the New England Journal of Medicine. - Adolescent Brains Show Lower Activity in Areas That Control Risky Choices
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March 15, 2007
Science Update
A new NIMH study could help explain why adolescents are so prone to make risky choices. When contemplating risky decisions, they show less activity in regions of the brain that regulate processes involved in decision-making, compared with adults. - Tiny, Spontaneous Gene Mutations May Boost Autism Risk
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March 15, 2007
Press Release
Tiny gene mutations, each individually rare, pose more risk for autism than had been previously thought, suggests a study funded in part by the National Institute of Mental Health, a component of the National Institutes of Health. - Depression Risk Higher in Girls with Low Birth Weight
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March 9, 2007
Science Update
irls’ risk for developing depression after puberty increased significantly if they had low birth weight, in a study funded in part by NIMH. - HIV Treatment May Help Reduce Severity of Mental Impairment in Children with HIV Infection
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March 7, 2007
Science Update
During the first few years of life, children born with HIV infection are most susceptible to central nervous system (CNS) disease, and can develop impaired cognitive, language, motor and behavioral functioning.