Science News from 2002

Mouse Gene Knockout Illuminates How Light Resets Clock

Press Release • December 13, 2002

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

Press Release • December 10, 2002

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

Press Release • November 06, 2002

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

Press Release • October 15, 2002

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

Press Release • October 08, 2002

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?

Press Release • September 26, 2002

NOTE TO WRITERS AND EDITORS: Dr. Richard Nakamura, Acting Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, testified this morning before the Committee on Government Reform, United States House of Representatives.

NIH Awards Grants for Two New Autism Research Centers

Press Release • September 18, 2002

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

Press Release • September 10, 2002

Bethesda, Maryland—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

Press Release • September 06, 2002

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

Press Release • September 05, 2002

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

Press Release • July 31, 2002

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

Press Release • July 25, 2002

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

Press Release • July 18, 2002

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

Press Release • July 02, 2002

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

Press Release • June 24, 2002

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.

Longtime NIMH Colleague Hazel Rea Dies at 91

Press Release • June 14, 2002

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.

Distinguished NIMH Scientist Richard Jed Wyatt Dies

Press Release • June 14, 2002

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.

Brain Signal Boosts as Monkey Nears Reward

Press Release • May 30, 2002

Delaying gratification while working toward a goal appears to have roots in a specific brain circuit.

Placebo, Antidepressant May Lift Depression Via Common Mechanism

Press Release • May 01, 2002

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

Press Release • April 18, 2002

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

Press Release • March 27, 2002

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

Press Release • March 11, 2002

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

Press Release • January 28, 2002

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

Press Release • January 25, 2002

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

Press Release • January 15, 2002

The NIMH web site (www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/children-and-adolescents) 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

Press Release • January 04, 2002

Wayne S. Fenton, M.D., has been appointed Acting Deputy Director of the NIMH. A research psychiatrist, he has been serving as Deputy Director for Clinical Affairs, NIMH Division of Mental Disorders, Behavioral Research & AIDS, since joining the Institute in 1999.