New studies on cancer and schizophrenia, depression and heart disease, trauma and autismDecember 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 |
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| Related Schizophrenia Current Events and Schizophrenia News Articles Schizophrenia gene's role may be broader, more potent, than thought UCSF scientists studying nerve cells in fruit flies have uncovered a new function for a gene whose human equivalent may play a critical role in schizophrenia. Full recovery now possible for an 'untreatable' mental illness Patients coping with the chaos and misery of Borderline Personality Disorder now have reason for strong confidence in making major life changes through a new treatment, Schema Therapy. Immune system activated in schizophrenia Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have discovered that patients with recent-onset schizophrenia have higher levels of inflammatory substances in their brains. Their findings offer hope of being able to treat schizophrenia with drugs that affect the immune system. Why can't chimps speak? If humans are genetically related to chimps, why did our brains develop the innate ability for language and speech while theirs did not? Developmental delay could stem from nicotinic receptor deletion The loss of a gene through deletion of genetic material on chromosome 15 is associated with significant abnormalities in learning and behavior, said a consortium of researchers led by Baylor College of Medicine (www.bcm.edu) in a report that appears online today in the journal Nature Genetics. Fighting Sleep, Penn Researchers Reverse the Cognitive Impairment Caused By Sleep Deprivation A research collaboration led by biologists and neuroscientists at the University of Pennsylvania has found a molecular pathway in the brain that is the cause of cognitive impairment due to sleep deprivation. Testicular tumors may explain why some diseases are more common in children of older fathers A rare form of testicular tumour has provided scientists with new insights into how genetic changes (mutations) arise in our children. CSHL-led team discovers rare mutation dramatically increasing schizophrenia risk An international team of researchers led by geneticist Jonathan Sebat, Ph.D., of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), has identified a mutation on human chromosome 16 that substantially increases risk for schizophrenia. Faulty 'wiring' in the brain triggers onset of schizophrenia A new study by researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP), King's College London has discovered abnormalities in the white matter of the brain that seem to be critical for the timing of schizophrenia. General anesthetics lead to learning disabilities in animal models Studies by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have shown that blocking the NMDA receptor in immature rats leads to profound, rapid brain injury and disruption of auditory function as the animals mature. More Schizophrenia Current Events and Schizophrenia News Articles |
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