EurekAlert! - National Institutes of Health

Public Release: 15-Oct-2012

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Neuroscientists find the molecular 'when' and 'where' of memory formation
Neuroscientists from NYU and the University of California, Irvine have isolated the "when" and "where" of molecular activity that occurs in the formation of short-, intermediate-, and long-term memories. Their findings offer new insights into the molecular architecture of memory formation and, with it, a better road map for developing therapeutic interventions for related afflictions.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, National Science Foundation

Public Release: 13-Oct-2012

Neuroscience 2012
Chronic stress during pregnancy prevents brain benefits of motherhood, study shows
A new study in animals shows that chronic stress during pregnancy prevents brain benefits of motherhood, a finding that researchers suggest could increase understanding of postpartum depression.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

Public Release: 9-Oct-2012

Journal of Neuroscience
Rare genetic disorder points to molecules that may play role in schizophrenia
Scientists studying a rare genetic disorder have identified a molecular pathway that may play a role in schizophrenia, according to new research in the Oct. 10 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The findings may one day guide researchers to new treatment options for people with schizophrenia -- a devastating disease that affects approximately 1% of the world's population.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Public Release: 9-Oct-2012

Health Affairs
Medicare beneficiaries overspend by hundreds, Pitt Public Health finds
Medicare beneficiaries are overpaying by hundreds of dollars annually because of difficulties selecting the ideal prescription drug plan for their medical needs, an investigation by University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health researchers reveals.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Public Release: 3-Oct-2012

Nature Genetics
Researchers identify dozens of new de novo genetic mutations in schizophrenia
Columbia University Medical Center researchers have identified dozens of new spontaneous genetic mutations that play a significant role in the development of schizophrenia, adding to the growing list of genetic variants that can contribute to the disease. The study, the largest and most comprehensive of its kind, was published today in the online edition of the journal Nature Genetics.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, Lieber Center for Schizophrenia Research at Columbia University

Public Release: 3-Oct-2012

International Journal of Eating Disorders
For some women, genes may influence pressure to be thin
Genetics may make some women more vulnerable to the pressure of being thin, a study led by Michigan State University researchers has found.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health

Public Release: 3-Oct-2012

American Journal of Psychiatry
New definition of autism in DSM-5 will not exclude most children with autism
Parents should not worry that proposed changes to the medical criteria redefining a diagnosis of autism will leave their children excluded and deemed ineligible for psychiatric and medical care, says a team of researchers led by psychologists at Weill Cornell Medical College.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Public Release: 1-Oct-2012

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition
Potential new class of drugs blocks nerve cell death
Researchers at the University of Iowa and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, have identified a new class of small molecules that block nerve cell death in animal models of Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These small molecules could be a starting point for developing drugs that might help treat patients with these diseases.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, NIH/National Cancer Institute

Public Release: 27-Sep-2012

Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Popular HIV drug may cause memory declines
The way the body metabolizes a commonly prescribed anti-retroviral drug that is used long term by patients infected with HIV may contribute to cognitive impairment by damaging nerve cells, a new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

NIH/National Institute on Aging, NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, and others

Public Release: 26-Sep-2012

PLOS ONE
Ready for your close-up?
As the saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Previous studies have examined how our social judgments of pictures of people are influenced by factors such as whether the person is smiling or frowning, but until now one factor has never been investigated: the distance between the photographer and the subject. According to a new study by researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), this turns out to make a difference.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Public Release: 24-Sep-2012

Psychological Science
Feeling guilty versus feeling angry -- who can tell the difference?
The ability to identify and distinguish between negative emotions helps us address the problem that led to those emotions in the first place. But while some people can tell the difference between feeling angry and frustrated, others may not be able to separate the two. Clinically depressed people often experience negative emotions that interfere with everyday life. A new study examines whether clinically depressed people are able to discriminate between different types of negative emotions.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, Swiss National Science Foundation, Funda��o para a Ci�ncia e a Tecnologia; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Public Release: 18-Sep-2012

Journal of Hospital Medicine
Study provides roadmap for delirium risks, prevention, treatment, prognosis and research
Delirium, a common acute condition with significant short- and long-term effects on cognition and function, should be identified as an indicator of poor long-term prognosis, prompting immediate and effective management strategies, according to the authors of a new systematic evidence review.

NIH/National Institute on Aging, NIH/National Institute of Mental Health

Public Release: 14-Sep-2012

Psychiatric Services
Simple tool may help evaluate risk for violence among patients with mental illness
Mental health professionals, who often are tasked with evaluating and managing the risk of violence by their patients, may benefit from a simple tool to more accurately make a risk assessment, according to a recent study conducted at the University of California, San Francisco.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health

Public Release: 13-Sep-2012

Neuron
Study reveals how common gene mutation affects kids with autism spectrum disorders
In children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, a common gene mutation has been found to impact the network of connections between different areas of the brain involved in social behavior, such as recognizing the emotions shown on people's faces.

NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, Autism Speaks

Public Release: 13-Sep-2012

Journal of Family Psychology
Should I marry him?
In the first scientific study to test whether doubts about getting married are more likely to lead to an unhappy marriage and divorce, UCLA psychologists report that when women have doubts before their wedding, those doubts are often a warning sign of trouble if they go ahead with the marriage. The study demonstrates that pre-wedding uncertainty, especially among women, predicts higher divorce rates and less marital satisfaction years later.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, National Science Foundation, UCLA

Public Release: 6-Sep-2012
Studying sex differences in autism focus of $15 million NIH award to Yale center
The reasons why autism spectrum disorders are almost five times more common among boys than among girls may soon be revealed, thanks to a five-year, $15 million National Institutes of Health grant awarded to Yale School of Medicine for the Autism Centers of Excellence research program.

NIH/National Institute Of Mental Health

Public Release: 6-Sep-2012

Archives of General Psychiatry
Predicting how patients respond to therapy
A new study led by MIT neuroscientists has found that brain scans of patients with social anxiety disorder can help predict whether they will benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy.

Poitras Center for Affective Disorders Research, NIH/National Institute of Mental Health

Public Release: 4-Sep-2012

Psychological Science
That giant tarantula is terrifying, but I'll touch it
Can simply describing your feelings at stressful times make you less afraid and less anxious? A new UCLA psychology study suggests that labeling your emotions at the moment you are confronting what you fear, can indeed have that effect.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, American Psychological Association

Public Release: 4-Sep-2012

Psychiatric Services
Simple tool may help inexperienced psychiatrists better predict violence risk in patients
Inexperienced psychiatrists are less likely than their veteran peers to accurately predict violence by their patients, but a simple assessment checklist might help bridge that accuracy gap, according to new research from the University of Michigan.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, American Psychiatric Association, and others

Public Release: 29-Aug-2012

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
When to worry about kids' temper tantrums
Temper tantrums in young children can be an early signal of mental health problems, but how does a parent or pediatrician know when disruptive behavior is typical or a sign of a serious problem? A Northwestern researcher has developed a new tool for parents and professionals to know when to worry. In a surprising finding, the study also debunks the common belief temper tantrums are rampant among young children.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health

Public Release: 27-Aug-2012

Annals of Behavioral Medicine
The effects of discrimination could last a lifetime
Given the well-documented relationship between low birth weight and the increased risk of health problems throughout one's lifespan, it is vital to reduce any potential contributors to low birth weight. A new study by Valerie Earnshaw and her colleagues from Yale University sheds light on one possible causal factor. Their findings indicate that chronic, everyday instances of discrimination against pregnant, urban women of color may contribute to low birth weight babies.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health

Public Release: 22-Aug-2012

Biological Psychiatry
Male mice exposed to chronic social stress have anxious female offspring
A study in mice conducted by researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine suggests that a woman's risk of anxiety and dysfunctional social behavior may depend on the experiences of her parents, particularly fathers, when they were young.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Public Release: 22-Aug-2012

Neuron
More sophisticated wiring, not just bigger brain, helped humans evolve beyond chimps
A new study pinpoints uniquely human patterns of gene activity in the brain that could shed light on how we evolved differently than our closest relative. Identifying these genes could improve understanding of human brain diseases like autism and schizophrenia, as well as learning disorders and addictions.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health

Public Release: 14-Aug-2012

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
Girls with ADHD more prone to self-injury, suicide as they enter adulthood
Girls with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) -- and their families -- often look forward to the likely decline in visible symptoms such as fidgety or disruptive behavior as they mature into young women. However, new findings from UC Berkeley caution that, as they enter adulthood, girls with histories of ADHD are more prone to internalize their struggles and feelings of failure -- a development that can manifest itself in self-injury and even attempted suicide.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health

Public Release: 14-Aug-2012

PLOS ONE
Studies seek better understanding and treatment of depression
Connecting the dots between two molecules whose levels are decreased in depression and increased by current antidepressants could yield new therapies, researchers say. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that enables brain cells to communicate and brain-derived neurotropic factor, or BDNF, is a brain-nourishing molecule that also aids connectivity. Popular antidepressants such as Prozac, developed to increase levels of serotonin, have recently been found to also increase BDNF levels, said Dr. Anilkumar Pillai, neuroscientist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Health Sciences University.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health