Science News About Clinical Research and Trials
- NIMH’s Carlos Zarate Jr., M.D., Elected to National Academy of Medicine
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• Institute Update
Carlos Zarate Jr., M.D., chief of the Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch within the NIMH Intramural Research Program, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
- Media Advisory: NIMH Researchers Available to Discuss Suicide Prevention
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• Media Advisory
Experts from the National Institute of Mental Health are available to speak on topics related to suicide and suicide prevention, including the warning signs of suicide, suicide prevention methods, trends in suicide rates, how to find mental health help and support, and the latest in suicide prevention research.
- NIMH Leadership Describes Suicide Prevention Research Priorities
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• Institute Update
In a new paper, published in JAMA Psychiatry, NIMH looks forward, outlining the next stages in the Institute’s suicide prevention research priorities.
- Fast-Fail Trial Shows New Approach to Identifying Brain Targets for Clinical Treatments
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• Press Release
An innovative NIMH-funded trial shows that a receptor involved in the brain’s reward system may be a viable target for treating anhedonia (or lack of pleasure), a key symptom of several mood and anxiety disorders.
- Neural Signature Identifies People Likely to Respond to Antidepressant Medication
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• Press Release
NIH-funded research uses machine learning algorithm to predict individual response to a commonly-prescribed antidepressant.
- Study Reveals Sex-Based Differences in the Development of Brain Hubs Involved in Memory and Emotion
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• Press Release
Researchers have uncovered sex-based differences in the development of the hippocampus and amygdala—brain areas that have been implicated in the biology of several mental disorders that impact males and females differently.
- NIH Announces Funding Awards for National Early Psychosis Learning Community
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• Press Release
NIMH awarded six research grants for studies to develop a learning health care system for the treatment of early psychosis.
- Mental Health Research Centers Forge Collaborations – with ALACRITY
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• Institute Update
Mental health research center directors emerged from a recent meeting with a renewed commitment to help each other achieve their common mission – to transform care of children, adolescents and adults with severe psychiatric disorders.
- Bench-to-Bedside: NIMH Research Leading to Brexanolone, First-Ever Drug Specifically for Postpartum Depression
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• Media Advisory
FDA approval of the postpartum depression treatment brexanolone represents the final phase of a bench-to-bedside journey for this drug — a journey that began in the NIMH Intramural Research Program. NIMH experts are available to provide information on postpartum depression and the importance of, and the science underlying, this new drug.
- NIH Study Shows Many Preteens Screen Positive for Suicide Risk During ER Visits
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• Press Release
A research team found nearly one-third of youth ages 10 to 12 years screened positive for suicide risk in emergency department settings, including those seeking help for physical concerns only.
- Hyperconnectivity in a Brain Circuit May Predict Psychosis
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• Science Update
NIMH-funded scientists have discovered a pattern in the way a brain circuit works that may help predict the onset of psychosis. High levels of chatter, or “hyperconnectivity,” in a circuit involving the cerebellum, thalamus, and cortex emerged as a potential “neural signature” in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study.
- Targeted E-Health HIV Intervention Reduces STIs and Sexual Risk Behaviors
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• Science Update
Findings from a new study suggest an electronically delivered HIV prevention intervention may be effective in reducing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sexual risk behaviors in young men who have sex with men.
- Therapy Reduces Risk in Suicidal Youth
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• Science Update
A recent clinical trial of a psychotherapy called dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)—which has been shown to be effective in reducing suicide-related behavior in adults—showed that DBT can also reduce suicide attempts and suicidal behavior in adolescents.
- Intervention Shows Promise for Treating Depression in Preschool-Aged Children
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• Press Release
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have shown that a therapy-based treatment for disruptive behavioral disorders can be adapted and used as an effective treatment option for early childhood depression.
- NIH Releases First Dataset from Unprecedented Study of Adolescent Brain Development
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• Press Release
The National Institutes of Health released to the scientific community an unparalleled dataset from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study.
- Mood Stabilizing Medications an Effective Option for Older Adults with Bipolar Disorder
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• Science Update
Two standard medications for bipolar disorder were effective in controlling symptoms at doses tailored to older people in a clinical trial of treatment in adults over age 60.
- Neuroimaging Technique May Help Predict Autism among High-Risk Infants
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• Press Release
Functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) may predict which high-risk, 6-month old infants will develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by age 2 years.
- Pediatrics-based Brief Therapy Outdoes Referral for Youths with Anxiety and Depression
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• Science Update
A streamlined behavioral therapy delivered in a pediatrics practice offered much greater benefit to youth with anxiety and depression than a more standard referral to mental health care with follow-up in a clinical trial comparing the two approaches.