Science News from 2002

Mouse Gene Knockout Illuminates How Light Resets Clock
Press Release •

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.

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Psychiatric Disorders Common Among Detained Youth
Press Release •

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.

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Mimicking Brain’s “All Clear” Quells Fear in Rats
Press Release •

Researchers funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have discovered a high tech way to quell panic in rats.

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Preventive Sessions After Divorce Protect Children into Teens
Press Release •

Divorcing families who participated in a prevention program markedly reduced the likelihood of their children developing mental disorders as adolescents, say NIMH-funded scientists.

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Brain Shrinkage in ADHD Not Caused by Medications
Press Release •

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.

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Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders: Are Children Being Overmedicated?
Press Release •

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.

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NIH Awards Grants for Two New Autism Research Centers
Press Release •

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.

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Thomas R. Insel, M.D., Named New Director of the National Institute of Mental Health
Press Release •

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).

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Early Mental Health Intervention Reduces Mass Violence Trauma
Press Release •

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.

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Even Neurons Have Favorite Numbers
Press Release •

Scientists have discovered individual brain cells that represent the concept of numbers.

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NIMH Study Finds Anti-Psychotic Medication Useful in Treating Serious Behavioral Problems among Children with Autism
Press Release •

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.

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Drug Targets Brain Circuits that Drive Appetite and Body Weight
Press Release •

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.

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Gene May Bias Amygdala Response to Frightful Faces
Press Release •

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.

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“Power Nap” Prevents Burnout; Morning Sleep Perfects a Skill
Press Release •

Evidence is mounting that sleep—even a nap—appears to enhance information processing and learning.

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Parents Can Learn to be Effective AIDS Educators for their Children
Press Release •

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.

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Longtime NIMH Colleague Hazel Rea Dies at 91
Press Release •

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.

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Distinguished NIMH Scientist Richard Jed Wyatt Dies
Press Release •

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.

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Brain Signal Boosts as Monkey Nears Reward
Press Release •

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

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Placebo, Antidepressant May Lift Depression Via Common Mechanism
Press Release •

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.

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NIMH Awards New Grants in Response to Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001
Press Release •

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.

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Timing of Chemical Signal Critical for Normal Emotional Development
Press Release •

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).

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$6 Million Grant to Expand Search for Autism Genes
Press Release •

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.

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Scans Link 2 Key Pieces of Schizophrenia Puzzle
Press Release •

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.

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NIMH Awards Howard University $6.5 Million
Press Release •

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.

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NIMH Web Information on Child, Adolescent Mental Health Honored
Press Release •

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.

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Institute Names Acting Deputy Director
Press Release •

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.

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