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New studies on cancer and schizophrenia, depression and heart disease, trauma and autism
December 11, 2007SELECTED PANELS INCLUDE:
* Study Finds Genetic Link between Cancer and Schizophrenia A series of studies elucidates evidence that there is a genetic link between schizophrenia and cancer, providing a surprising possible scientific explanation for lower rates of cancer among patients with schizophrenia - despite having poor diets and high rates of smoking - and their parents.
* Research Finds Link between Depression and Heart Disease Depression nearly triples the risk of death following a heart attack, even when accounting for other heart attack risk factors, according to research which showed that among 360 depressed, post myocardial infarction patients followed for more than six years, those who did not recover from their depression in the first six months were more than twice as likely to die.
* Study Shows Psychotherapy Helpful in Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Early Stages When treated within a month, survivors of a psychologically traumatic event improved significantly with psychotherapy. Researchers studied 248 adults with early symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a traumatic event that had occurred no more than four weeks earlier.
* New Studies Suggest Brain Overgrowth in One-Year-Olds Linked to Development of Autism Brain overgrowth in the latter part of an infant's first year may contribute to the onset of autistic characteristics. These findings support concurrent research which has found brain overgrowth in autistic children as young as two years old.
* Study Finds First-Ever Genetic Animal Model of Autism By introducing a gene mutation in mice, investigators have created what they believe to be the first accurate model of autism not associated with a broader neuropsychiatric syndrome. This animal model could help researchers better understand abnormal brain function in autistic humans, which could help them identify and improve treatment strategies.
* Study Shows New Strategy for Developing Rapid-Acting Antidepressants Researchers may be able to develop an antidepressant which takes effect almost immediately by directly targeting novel molecules in the brain instead of taking a less direct route, which can lead to longer times for medication to take effect.
* Study Finds Brain Differences in Adolescents with Mental Illness Puberty may have an impact on areas of the brain that contribute to bipolar disorder or schizophrenia in youth, according to new research. Investigators found size difference in the brains of youth with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, which could help identify different treatment approaches in boys and girls.
* Nicotine Addiction Might be Controlled by Influencing Pleasurable Response Mechanisms in Brain There is a clear link between GABA - a chemical substance of the central nervous system that inhibits neurons in the brain - and nicotine dependence. Researchers discovered that nicotine has significant effects on brain GABA, a finding which could potentially help curb the pleasurable effects of nicotine and help people break their addiction to it.
* Stable Sleep Patterns and Regular Routines May Improve Outcomes in Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder, commonly known as manic-depressive disorder, is highly influenced by the circadian system - the body's internal clock - and a specific kind of psychotherapy may help decrease irregularities in the circadian system that can trigger key symptoms of bipolar disorder
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Schizophrenia News and Current Schizophrenia Events RSSHopkins researchers piece together gene 'network' linked to schizophrenia
Reporting this week in the Archives of General Psychiatry, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have uncovered for the first time molecular circuitry associated with schizophrenia that links three previously known, yet unrelated proteins.
Risks and benefits of antipsychotics in children and adolescents
Many of the psychiatric disorders observed in adults have their onset in childhood or adolescence. In fact some studies show that at least 20% of children and adolescents will fulfil a diagnostic criterion for a mental disorder before reaching adulthood.
Children of older fathers more likely to have bipolar disorder
Older age among fathers may be associated with an increased risk for bipolar disorder in their offspring, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Anti-psychotic drug use in the elderly increases despite drug safety warnings
Three regulatory warnings of serious adverse events slowed the growth of use of atypical antipsychotic drugs among elderly patients with dementia, but they did not reduce the overall prescription rate of these drugs.
Looking beyond the drug receptor for clues to drug effectiveness
Antipsychotic drugs that are widely used to treat schizophrenia and other problems may not work as scientists have assumed, according to findings from Duke University Medical Center researchers that could lead to changes in how these drugs are developed and prescribed.
Severe, acute maternal stress linked to the development of schizophrenia
Pregnant women who endure the psychological stress of being in a war zone are more likely to give birth to a child who develops schizophrenia.
Unlocking mystery of why dopamine freezes Parkinson's patients
Parkinson's disease and drug addiction are polar opposite diseases, but both depend upon dopamine in the brain. Parkinson's patients don't have enough of it; drug addicts get too much of it. Although the importance of dopamine in these disorders has been well known, the way it works has been a mystery.
Human brains pay a price for being big
Metabolic changes responsible for the evolution of our unique cognitive abilities indicate that the brain may have been pushed to the limit of its capabilities. Research published today in BioMed Central's open access journal Genome Biology adds weight to the theory that schizophrenia is a costly by-product of human brain evolution.
Estrogen relieves psychotic symptoms in women with schizophrenia
When combined with antipsychotic medications, the estrogen estradiol appears to be a useful treatment in women with schizophrenia, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
N.Y. Research Team Discovers How Antidepressants and Cocaine Interact with Brain Cell Targets
In a first, scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University Medical Center have described the specifics of how brain cells process antidepressant drugs, cocaine and amphetamines. These novel findings could prove useful in the development of more targeted medication therapies for a host of psychiatric diseases, most notably in the area of addiction.
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