Psychiatry News and Research

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

Genetic treatment may provide a new approach to addressing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

For the first time, scientists have linked distinct patterns of genetic mutations with OCD in humans using genome-wide analysis.

29 Jun 2021

Single biomarker in the blood can accurately indicate underlying neurodegeneration

Levels of a protein called neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the blood can identify those who might have neurodegenerative diseases such as Down's syndrome dementia, motor neuron disease (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia, when clinical symptoms are not definitive.

8 Jun 2021

Adolescents with higher omega-3 levels in blood are less likely to acquire psychotic illness

Adolescents who had greater levels of an omega-3 fatty acid in their blood were less likely to acquire psychotic illness in early adulthood.

3 Jun 2021

Study shows how mitochondrial function impacts schizophrenia in patients with genetic disorder

Researchers have demonstrated how cell “batteries” play a significant role in whether patients with the chromosomal deletion syndrome acquire schizophrenia.

20 May 2021

Study: Individuals who recovered from depression had increased level of serotonin transporter

Low levels of serotonin in the brain are seen as a possible cause of depression and many antidepressants act by blocking a protein that transports serotonin away from the nerve cells.

11 May 2021

Study identifies single protein key to regulating sex differences in Parkinson’s disease

Neuroscientists have found that a single protein is critical to controlling sex disparities in the brain’s susceptibility to age-related neuron loss.

29 Apr 2021

Study reveals genetic risk factors for childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder

Researchers at the University of Calgary and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), in Toronto, have discovered genetic risk factors for OCD that could help pave the way for earlier diagnosis and improved treatment for children and youth.

13 Apr 2021

Targeting epigenetic mechanisms to advance pharmacological treatments for alcoholism

Abusive alcohol drinking considerably impacts human health. Alcoholism, better defined as Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD), includes a group of pathological entities related to alcohol-induced damage.

1 Apr 2021

Gender difference accounts for major psychiatric disorders

According to an analysis of sex variations in the genetics of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and major depressive disorders.

24 Mar 2021

Tiny population of neurons may play a significant role in depression

A tiny population of neurons known to be important to appetite appear to also have a significant role in depression that results from unpredictable, chronic stress, scientists say.

12 Feb 2021

Brain protein that causes Alzheimer's also protects against the disease

Findings from a new study on Alzheimer's disease could eventually help clinicians identify people at the highest risk for developing the progressive brain disorder.

10 Feb 2021

Scientists implicate disruption in prenatal neurogenesis in the development of autism

A new study of autism risk genes by UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley scientists implicates disruption in prenatal neurogenesis - a process in which specialized "progenitor" cells give rise to new brain cells - in the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

9 Feb 2021

New report highlights coffee's effect on sleep

The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) published a new report today, titled 'Coffee and sleep in everyday lives', authored by Professor Renata Riha, from the Department of Sleep Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.

5 Feb 2021

Scientists identify specific genes associated with post-traumatic stress disorder

A research team has found 18 specific, fixed positions on chromosomes (called loci) that seem to be linked to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

29 Jan 2021

Caffeinated coffee helps to minimize reductions in attention and cognitive function

A new study exploring the impact of repeated sleep loss during a simulated working week has found that consuming caffeinated coffee during the day helps to minimize reductions in attention and cognitive function, compared to decaffeinated coffee.

22 Jan 2021

Metabolites may be predictive indicators for recurrent major depressive disorder

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, in collaboration with Dutch scientists, have found that certain metabolites -- small molecules produced by the process of metabolism -- may be predictive indicators for persons at risk for recurrent major depressive disorder.

13 Jan 2021

Many light smokers meet the criteria for nicotine addiction

Even people who consider themselves to be casual cigarette smokers may be addicted, according to current diagnostic criteria. Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine and Duke University found that many light smokers -- those who smoke one to four cigarettes per day or fewer -- meet the criteria for nicotine addiction and should therefore be considered for treatment.

24 Dec 2020