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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- Even Neurons Have Favorite Numbers
- Press Release
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.