Science News from 2008
News from 2008
- New Therapies Show Promise for Vascular Depression; Heart, Metabolic, Risks of Some Antipsychotic Medications Flagged
- May 7, 2008 · Science Update · Researchers see new treatments on the horizon for a type of depression related to blood vessels that affects the elderly, and have discovered why some elderly people fail to respond to current medications. In other studies, scientists urge caution regarding use of antipsychotics (usually for schizophrenia or other psychosis) in this and other populations to minimize metabolic, heart, and stroke risks.
- Virtual Reality, Psychotherapy, Show Promise in Treating PTSD Symptoms; Civilian Access to Care Remains a Concern
- May 7, 2008 · Science Update · Early data from an NIMH-sponsored double-blind study of 24 war veterans shows a marked reduction in acoustic startle ─ the reflex response to sudden loud sounds ─ in those treated with virtual reality exposure therapy combined with either d-cycloserine, an antibiotic that has been shown to facilitate the extinction of fear memories; pill placebo; or the anti-anxiety medication alprazolam (Xanax).
- Mental Disorders Cost Society Billions in Unearned Income
- May 7, 2008 · Press Release · Major mental disorders cost the nation at least $193 billion annually in lost earnings alone.
- Clues to Role of Brain Development as Risk for Mental Disorders May Also Lead to Better Treatments
- May 6, 2008 · Science Update · Increasing evidence points to links between the timing and growth rates of specific brain areas in the young brain and the likelihood of developing a wide range of mental disorders later in life, say researchers convened by NIMH
- Imaging Identifies Brain Regions and Chemicals Underlying Mood Disorders; May Lead to Better Treatments
- May 6, 2008 · Science Update · Recently developed imaging techniques allow the mapping of the brain circuits and chemical systems believed responsible for a range of mood abnormalities including depression and bipolar disorder, and hold promise for improved treatments, scientists say.
- Studies Identify Subtle Genetic Changes’ Risk for Mental Disorders; May Lead to Targets for New, Better, Therapies
- May 5, 2008 · Science Update · Epigenetics ─ the examination of how environmental factors like diet, stress, and post-natal maternal behavior can change gene function without altering DNA sequence ─ plays a major role in depression and in the actions of antidepressant medications. New studies in the field are revealing new molecular targets for better therapies for depression, scientists say.
- Medication-Enhanced Learning in Therapy Hailed as “Paradigm Shift” for Anxiety
- May 1, 2008 · Science Update · A medication that enhances learning, taken just before an exposure therapy session, may aid cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders, say NIMH-funded researchers, who adapted the technique from studies in rats.
- Study launched to test possible preventive treatment for schizophrenia in high risk youth
- May 1, 2008 · Science Update · NIMH recently awarded a grant to study whether an intensive, computerized training program can help prevent youth at high risk for developing schizophrenia from having a first psychotic episode and improve adaptive functioning.
- Human Brain Appears “Hard-Wired” for Hierarchy
- April 23, 2008 · Press Release · Human imaging studies have for the first time identified brain circuitry associated with social status, according to researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health.
- Mark Your Calendars, NIMH Science Track at APA Annual Meeting, May 3-8, 2008
- April 17, 2008 · Science Update · NIMH will host science track symposia, lectures, press conferences at the American Psychiatric Association 161st Annual Meeting.
- Journal Highlights Effectiveness of Research Based Psychotherapies for Youth
- April 15, 2008 · Science Update · Reviews of the current research on psychosocial and behavioral therapies, or psychotherapies, for children and adolescents found a number of “well established” and “probably efficacious” treatments for many mental disorders. The results were published in a special issue of the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.
- Maintenance Treatment Crucial for Teens’ Recovery from Depression
- April 8, 2008 · Science Update · Long-term maintenance treatment is likely to sustain improvement and prevent recurrence among adolescents with major depression, according to an NIMH-funded study.
- OCD Risk Higher When Several Variations in Gene Occur Together
- April 7, 2008 · Science Update · Several variations within the same gene act together to raise the risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), new NIMH research suggests.
- New Research to Help People with Mental Disorders Quit Smoking
- April 4, 2008 · Science Update · A new grant funded by NIMH will develop an intervention designed to help people with serious mental illness (SMI) quit smoking.
- Paying More for Prescriptions May Limit Seniors’ Access to Antidepressants
- April 2, 2008 · Science Update · New cost-sharing policies may prevent some older adults diagnosed with depression from filling new antidepressant prescriptions.
- Newly Awarded Autism Centers of Excellence to Further Autism Research
- April 1, 2008 · Press Release · The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced on March 24, 2008, the latest recipients of the Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) program. These grants will support studies covering a broad range of autism research areas, including early brain development and functioning, social interactions in infants, rare genetic variants and mutations, associations between autism-related genes and physical traits, possible environmental risk factors and biomarkers, and a potential new medication treatment.
- Rates of Rare Mutations Soar Three to Four Times Higher in Schizophrenia
- March 27, 2008 · Press Release · People with schizophrenia have high rates of rare genetic deletions and duplications that likely disrupt the developing brain, according to studies funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.
- Autism Gene Scans Converge on Two Suspect Sites, Two Types of Genetic Risk
- March 19, 2008 · Science Update · Four teams of scientists, using resources supported in part by NIMH, have pinpointed two different sites in the genome, each conferring a different type of genetic risk for autism.
- Past Child Abuse Plus Variations in Gene Result in Potent PTSD Risk for Adults
- March 18, 2008 · Press Release · A traumatic event is much more likely to result in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults who experienced trauma in childhood – but certain gene variations raise the risk considerably if the childhood trauma involved physical or sexual abuse, scientists have found.
- State Survey Finds FDA “Black Box” Warning Correlates with Curtailed Antidepressant Prescriptions
- March 14, 2008 · Science Update · After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a “black box” warning on antidepressant medications, Nebraskan doctors began prescribing fewer antidepressant medications to children and teens and referring more patients to specialists, according to a state survey.
- One Gene Overrides Another to Prevent Brain Changes that Foster Depression
- March 12, 2008 · Science Update · A variation on one gene affects how much of the brain chemical serotonin is available to brain cells. This variation is thought to raise the risk of depression in people who carry it. But NIMH scientists found that a variation in another gene, which produces brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) – a substance that enables growth and health of brain cells – appears to prevent or offset the changes generated by the depression-fostering variant.
- Bipolar Youths’ Misreading of Faces May be Risk Marker for Illness
- March 4, 2008 · Science Update · Youngsters with pediatric bipolar disorder and healthy peers who have first-degree relatives with bipolar disorder share the same difficulty labeling facial emotions, NIMH researchers have discovered.
- Teens with Treatment-resistant Depression More Likely to Get Better with Switch to Combination Therapy
- February 26, 2008 · Press Release · Teens with difficult-to-treat depression who do not respond to a first antidepressant medication are more likely to get well if they switch to another antidepressant medication and add psychotherapy rather than just switching to another antidepressant.
- Group Therapy Program Offers Meaningful Gains for People with Borderline Personality Disorder
- February 26, 2008 · Science Update · A 20-week group therapy program focusing on cognitive behavioral and skills training, when used in conjunction with usual care, helped reduce symptoms of borderline personality disorder and improve overall functioning, reported NIMH-funded researchers. Their findings were published online February 15, 2008 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
- Primary Care Doctors May Overlook Elderly Patients’ Mental Health
- February 25, 2008 · Science Update · Doctors spend little time discussing mental health issues with their older patients and rarely refer them to a mental health specialist even if they show symptoms of severe depression.
- Co-occurring Anxiety Complicates Treatment Response for Those with Major Depression
- February 25, 2008 · Science Update · People with major depression accompanied by high levels of anxiety are significantly less likely to benefit from antidepressant medication than those without anxiety, according to a study based on data from the NIMH-funded Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study.
- Genetic Tags Reveal Secrets of Memories’ Staying Power in Mice
- February 21, 2008 · Press Release · A better understanding of how memory works is emerging from a newfound ability to link a learning experience in a mouse to consequent changes in the inner workings of its neurons. Researchers, supported in part by NIMH, have developed a way to pinpoint the specific cellular components that sustain a specific memory in genetically-engineered mice.
- Scans Reveal Faulty Brain Wiring Caused by Missing Genes
- February 20, 2008 · Science Update · An NIMH study using an emerging imaging technology has discovered faulty wiring in the brains of people with Williams Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects some aspects of thinking.
- Cold, Unfeeling Traits Linked to Distinctive Brain Patterns in Kids with Severe Conduct Problems
- February 20, 2008 · Science Update · The callous, unemotional characteristics of some children and adolescents who bully or steal or have other severely disruptive behavior problems may have partial roots in a brain area called the amygdala.
- Genetic Variation May Influence Response to Depression Treatment
- February 20, 2008 · Science Update · Variations in a gene known as TREK1 may explain some forms of treatment-resistant major depression, according to a new study analyzing genetic data.
- Tomorrow’s Antidepressants: Skip the Serotonin Boost?
- February 14, 2008 · Science Update · Even when serotonin levels stayed low, scientists were able to correct abnormal, mental-illness-like behaviors in mice by blocking an enzyme called GSK3ß. The finding adds evidence that molecular targets other than serotonin may lead to better and faster medications for some mental illnesses.
- Team Care for Depressed Older Adults Cuts Overall Medical Costs
- February 14, 2008 · Science Update · A team approach to depression treatment for older adults, already shown to be effective, is also less expensive than usual care.
- Gene Variants Protect Against Adult Depression Triggered by Childhood Stress
- February 4, 2008 · Press Release · Certain variations in a gene that helps regulate response to stress tend to protect adults who were abused in childhood from developing depression. Adults who had been abused but didn’t have the variations in the gene had twice the symptoms of moderate to severe depression, compared to those with the protective variations.
- Mental Disorders Persist Among Hurricane Katrina Survivors
- January 24, 2008 · Science Update · More residents affected by Hurricane Katrina are enduring mental disorders than was initially determined a few months after the storm.
- Faster-Acting Medications for Bipolar Disorder’s Manic Phase May Be Feasible
- January 23, 2008 · Science Update · Scientists may be able to develop faster-acting medications for the manic phase of bipolar disorder, new research shows.
- Research-based Principles May Help Improve Mental Health Recovery Following Mass Trauma
- January 14, 2008 · Science Update · Experts on trauma-related research and medical practices from around the world recently identified five principles to guide mental health care efforts immediately or shortly after a mass trauma, such as a natural disaster or terrorist attack.
- Autism Risk Higher in People with Gene Variant
- January 10, 2008 · Press Release · Scientists have found a variation in a gene that may raise the risk of developing autism, especially when the variant is inherited from mothers rather than fathers.
- Mood Disorders Predict Later Substance Abuse Problems
- January 9, 2008 · Science Update · People with manic symptoms and bipolar disorder type II are at significant risk of later developing an alcohol abuse or dependence problem, a long-term study conducted in Switzerland confirms.
- Scientists Can Predict Psychotic Illness in up to 80 Percent of High-Risk Youth
- January 7, 2008 · Press Release · Youth who are going to develop psychosis can be identified before their illness becomes full-blown 35 percent of the time if they meet widely accepted criteria for risk, but that figure rises to 65 to 80 percent if they have certain combinations of risk factors, the largest study of its kind has shown.
- Real-World Outcomes in Schizophrenia Are Focus of Two New NIMH Grants
- January 4, 2008 · Science Update · Two new NIMH grants are aimed at determining the most accurate methods of measuring how well community-dwelling people with schizophrenia are faring. Results of the project are meant to provide scientists who conduct future research on the effectiveness of treatments with tools that reflect the truest possible picture of daily-life outcomes.
- Foreign Nativity May Not Always Protect Against Mental Disorders in the US
- January 3, 2008 · Science Update · Though all Latino immigrants tend to display better overall mental health compared to their US-born counterparts, a recent study by NIMH-funded researchers has found that the protective benefits of foreign nativity vary widely across subgroups of this population.
- Ethnicity Predicts How Gene Variations Affect Response to Schizophrenia Medications
- January 2, 2008 · Science Update · Different variations in the same gene influence how well different ethnic groups, and people within the same ethnic group, respond to various antipsychotic medications, report NIMH-funded researchers. If confirmed, their findings could one day help clinicians predict which medication is most likely to help a patient, based on his or her genetic makeup.
