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- Genetic Tags Reveal Secrets of Memories’ Staying Power in Mice
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February 21, 2008
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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
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February 20, 2008
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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.
- Tomorrow’s Antidepressants: Skip the Serotonin Boost?
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February 14, 2008
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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.
- IQ Boost From Breast Milk Linked to Gene-Environment Interaction
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December 17, 2007
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Science Update
A new study shows that the intellectual boost associated with breast milk is only attained if a child has inherited one of two versions of a specific gene. The NIMH funded research is among the first to provide evidence of a specific genetic-environment interaction involved in complex mental functioning.
- Schizophrenia-Related Gene Linked to Imbalance in Dopamine Pathways
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December 17, 2007
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Science Update
Forms of a gene known to increase risk for schizophrenia may create an imbalance in brain pathways for dopamine, suggests a recent study by NIMH scientists. The findings could help explain how this key chemical messenger goes awry in the disorder, which affects about one percent of adults.
- Depression’s Flip Side Shares its Circuitry
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December 14, 2007
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Science Update
Humans tend to be overly optimistic about the future, sometimes underestimating risks and making unrealistic plans, notes NIMH grantee Elizabeth Phelps, Ph.D., New York University. Yet “a moderate optimistic illusion” appears to be essential for maintaining motivation and good mental health
- Researchers Suggest Updating Criteria for HIV-associated Neurocognitive Disorders
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November 8, 2007
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Science Update
After 10 years since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the criteria for classifying HIV-related neurocognitive disorders may need to be revised and updated.
- Memory-sustaining Enzyme May Help Treat PTSD, Cognitive Decline
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November 2, 2007
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Science Update
Chemically blocking an enzyme in a specific area in the brain’s cortex, or outer mantle, erased a long-term memory of an aversive event that rats had learned, a study funded in part by NIMH has found.
- New Social Neuroscience Grants to Help Unravel Autism, Anxiety Disorders
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October 10, 2007
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Science Update
How genes and the environment shape the brain circuitry underlying social behavior is among the questions being addressed by three newly NIMH-funded studies.
- Bipolar Disorder Phenome Database May Aid Search for Related Genes
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October 2, 2007
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Science Update
Early findings from the recently launched Bipolar Disorder Phenome Database were published in the August 2007 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
