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Psychiatry is the treatment, study and prevention of mental disorders.

New Rat Study Reveals How Genetic Traits Ripple Through Social Microbiomes

The gut microbiome - made up of trillions of microbes in the digestive tract - is vital for digestion and overall health. Diet and medication shape these microbial ecosystems, but the contribution of genetics has been more difficult to ascertain.

22 Dec 2025

Neuron Anatomy Shapes How the Brain Processes Odor Information

Closely related subtypes of dopamine-releasing neurons may play entirely separate roles in processing sensory information, depending on their physical structure.

17 Dec 2025

Discovery Reveals Unexpected Role for OTULIN in Controlling Tau Expression

Scientists have uncovered a surprising mechanism by which a brain enzyme called OTULIN controls the expression of tau, the protein that forms toxic tangles in Alzheimer's disease.

26 Nov 2025

Genetic Insights Reveal Key Drivers of Bone Density in Children

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) revealed important genetic components that affect bone density in children and adolescents.

20 Nov 2025

Brain Immune Cells Found to Act as Accelerators and Brakes for Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health conditions in America, affecting about one in five people nationwide.

12 Nov 2025

Hidden Role of Biliverdin Reductase A in Fighting Oxidative Damage

According to a new study from Johns Hopkins Medicine, the enzyme biliverdin reductase A (BVRA) protects neurons directly from oxidative stress, regardless of whether it produces the yellow pigment bilirubin.

5 Nov 2025

RNA Molecules Alter Genome Structure to Silence Critical Neuronal Genes During Stress

What if the brain's response to stress could be read not in fleeting neurotransmitter bursts, but in the quieting of genes deep inside chromatin? Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have now shown that stress hormones may silence crucial neuronal genes through an unexpected class of RNA molecules that operate not by encoding proteins, but by reshaping the genome's architecture.

5 Nov 2025

Enzyme BVRA Found to Shield Neurons from Oxidative Stress

New research from Johns Hopkins Medicine shows that the enzyme biliverdin reductase A (BVRA) plays a direct protective role against oxidative stress in neurons, independent of its role producing the yellow pigment bilirubin.

4 Nov 2025

Biological Effects of Childhood Abuse Uncovered Through Epigenome-Wide Analysis

Child maltreatment, which includes abuse and neglect, is one of the most serious public health concerns worldwide.

16 Oct 2025

Metastatic Lung Cancer Cells Cozy Up to Neurons and Form Synapses

Small cell lung cancer cells that metastasize to the brain cozy up to neurons and form working electrical connections, called synapses, according to an upcoming study led by Stanford Medicine researchers.

11 Sep 2025

PV Interneurons Regulate Social Behavior and Empathy in Mice

A special set of neurons directs mice's attention to or away from their peers, depending on the situation. The Kobe University discovery has implications for finding causes for neuropsychiatric conditions such as autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia.

27 Aug 2025

Missing Microexons Disrupt Synapse-Related Proteins in Pediatric Glioma

A new study, led by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), identified tiny pieces of messenger RNA that are missing in pediatric high-grade glioma tumors but not in normal brain tissues.

19 Aug 2025

Proteomic Signature in Blood Predicts Dementia and Diabetes Risk

A blood-based proteomic signature predicts healthspan, linking protein levels to disease risk and mortality, paving the way for targeted aging interventions.

10 Jun 2025

UC Davis Study Links Specific microRNAs to Mental and Neurological Disorders

A study in Nature Aging from researchers at the UC Davis School of Medicine has identified specific microRNAs - non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression within cells - that likely contribute to bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Parkinson's disease.

5 Jun 2025

Exon-Specific Analysis Uncovers Novel Insights into Psychiatric Disease

This research highlights the role of exons in mental illnesses, offering new perspectives on genetic factors that influence psychiatric disorder development.

3 Jun 2025

Study Reveals Epigenetic Clues Behind Autism Development

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a condition affecting the brain's development and often affects the ability of a person to perceive sensory information and social cues and socialize with others.

22 May 2025

Same Gene Mutations Can Require Different Treatments in Autism and Schizophrenia

For patients with disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, mutations in the same gene could require different treatments, according to new research from Yale School of Medicine (YSM).

6 May 2025

New Gene Editing Tool Alters Mitochondrial Mutation Levels in Stem Cells

Mitochondrial diseases affect approximately 1 in 5,000 people worldwide, causing debilitating symptoms ranging from muscle weakness to stroke-like episodes.

5 May 2025

Dr. Jeremy Poschmann’s data-driven approach to immune profiling and translational science

Dr. Jeremy Poschmann discusses data-driven approaches in genomics, revealing how immune profiling can predict disease risk and improve patient outcomes.

1 May 2025

New Genetic Insights From Long Read Sequencing in a Teen With Complex Psychiatric Conditions

In a manuscript published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry titled Long-Read Genome Sequencing in Clinical Psychiatry: RFX3 Haploinsufficiency in a Hospitalized Adolescent With Autism, Intellectual Disability, and Behavioral Decompensation, authors describe how they leveraged long-read genomic sequencing (LRS) to make a genetic diagnosis in a17-year-old male with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and acute behavioral decompensation that would not have been possible by standard methods.

12 Apr 2025