Feature Channels: Mental Health

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Recognize the signs and symptoms of diabetes distress with these five tips.

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Drumming, dancing, painting, writing, acting and singing are among the many activities taking place March 30 through April 2 as part of “Creativity & the Arts in Healing.” National experts will lead more than 125 workshops integrating the arts with mental health practices.

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It has long been thought that each copy of our DNA instructions - one inherited from mom and one from dad - is treated the same. A new study from scientists at the University of Utah School of Medicine shows that it is not uncommon for cells in the brain to preferentially activate one copy over the other. The finding breaks basic tenants of classic genetics and suggests new ways in which genetic mutations might cause brain disorders.

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The MagnaSafe Registry, a new multicenter study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), has demonstrated that appropriately screened and monitored patients with standard or non-MRI-conditional pacemakers and defibrillators can undergo MRI at a field strength of 1.5 tesla without harm.

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Rush University Medical Center has launched a unique, cohort study called Latino Core to learn about the aging process and risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease in older Latino adults.

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Sleep remains an enduring biological mystery with major clinical relevance, according to a review by clinician-researcher Thomas Scammell, MD, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and colleagues. In recent decades, new technologies have allowed neuroscientists to identify multiple brain circuits that govern the sleep/wake cycle, as well as the factors that can influence it, such as caffeine and light. But the brain’s complexity is still a stumbling block in understanding this ubiquitous and necessary animal behavior, the researchers wrote. Their review appeared today in the journal Neuron.

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New research using an Apple Watch app to track seizures in people with epilepsy finds triggers are often stress and missed sleep, according to a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 69th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 22 to 28, 2017.

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Researchers at SUNY Downstate recently discovered that an inhibitory brain receptor triggers synaptic pruning in adolescence. Drugs that selectively target these receptors, when administered during adolescence, can alter synapse number, with possible implications for the treatment of autism and schizophrenia.

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Adolescents with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are more likely to misidentify sad and angry faces as fearful, while teens with symptoms of conduct disorder tend to interpret sad faces as angry, finds a study led by NYU’s Steinhardt School.

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Eating fish and seafood with higher levels of mercury may be linked to a higher risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 69th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 22 to 28, 2017. However, fish and seafood consumption as a regular part of the diet was not associated with ALS.

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Former NFL players who had repeated head injuries may not have significant problems with motor functions later in life, according to a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 69th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 22 to 28, 2017.

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SPOKANE, Wash. – New research from Sarah Arpin, assistant professor of psychology at Gonzaga University, concludes that partners who share good news, and believe their partners are receptive and supportive, sleep better. This is likely correlated to a decrease in loneliness and improved overall health, noted Arpin, who presented her research on military couples and relational health at the 2017 Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention in late January.

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Tumors that originate in other organs of the body and spread to the brain are known as metastatic brain tumors. According to the American Brain Tumor Association, this type of tumor is the most common in adults, affecting as many as 300,000 people each year. University of Missouri School of Medicine researchers compared two common postsurgical therapies for metastatic brain tumors and found that stereotactic radiosurgery can provide better outcomes for patients compared to whole-brain radiation.

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Max Wiznitzer, MD, has a longstanding interest in neurodevelopmental disabilities, including autism.

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A new test using peripheral vision reaction time could lead to earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment of mild traumatic brain injury, often referred to as a concussion.

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A review of worldwide studies has found that add-on treatment with high-dose b-vitamins - including B6, B8 and B12 - can significantly reduce symptoms of schizophrenia more than standard treatments alone.

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Two Kennesaw State University scientists have received a total of $737,364 in National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health grants for developmental biology research into autism and birth defects.

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Babies born at just 22 to 24 weeks of pregnancy continue to have sobering outlooks -- only about 1 in 3 survive. But according to a new study led by Duke Health and appearing Feb. 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine, those rates are showing small but measurable improvement. Compared to extremely preterm babies born a decade earlier, the study found a larger percentage are developing into toddlers without signs of moderate or severe cognitive and motor delay.

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The latest study on hormone therapy and Alzheimer’s disease shows no relationship between taking the drugs and whether you may develop the disease years later. Some previous studies have shown that hormone therapy may increase the risk of the disease, while others have shown that it may reduce the risk. The new study was published in the February 15, 2017, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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A pilot study tracking adolescents’ internal psychological states and physical activity in near real-time challenges prevailing assumptions about how to increase physical activity.

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By using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the brains of infants who have older siblings with autism, scientists were able to correctly identify 80 percent of the babies who would be subsequently diagnosed with autism at 2 years of age.

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Emotions are not innately programmed into our brains, but, in fact, are cognitive states resulting from the gathering of information, New York University Professor Joseph LeDoux and Richard Brown, a professor at the City University of New York, conclude.

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Biologists have known for decades that enduring a short period of mild stress makes simple organisms and human cells better able to survive additional stress later in life. Now, scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) have found that a cellular process called autophagy is critically involved in providing the benefits of temporary stress. The study, published today in Nature Communications, creates new avenues to pursue treatments for neurological disorders such as Huntington’s disease.

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Calcium in the mitochondria -- the energy factory of cells -- may be one of the keys to understanding and treating Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Researchers at Temple University have now identified how an imbalance of calcium ions in the mitochondria may contribute to cell death and, specifically, neurodegeneration in brain cells during Alzheimer's and dementia. The findings could eventually point to new therapies for preventing or delaying these diseases. The team will present its work during the 61st Meeting of the Biophysical Society.

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Currently, the predominant theory behind Alzheimer’s disease is the “amyloid hypothesis,” which states that abnormally increased levels of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides outside of brain cells produce a variety of low molecular weight Aβ aggregates that are toxic to the nervous system. These Aβ aggregates interact directly with target cells and lead to cell death. During the Biophysical Society’s meeting, being held Feb. 11-15, 2017, Antonio De Maio will present his work hunting for the specific mechanisms behind Aβ-induced toxicity to cells, or cytoxicity.

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New Rutgers–Princeton Center Uses Computational Models to Understand Psychiatric Conditions

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Rutgers scientists say neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s may be linked to defective brain cells disposing toxic proteins that make neighboring cells sick. In a study published in Nature, Monica Driscoll, distinguished professor of molecular biology and biochemistry, School of Arts and Sciences, and her team, found that while healthy neurons should be able to sort out and rid brain cells of toxic proteins and damaged cell structures without causing problems, laboratory findings indicate that it does not always occur.

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Latest Research Highlights from ACSM

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Nicotine -- the primary compound found within tobacco smoke -- is known to change the grouping of some subtypes of nicotine receptors, but the mechanisms for nicotine addiction remain unclear. This inspired a group of University of Kentucky researchers to explore the role nicotine plays in the assembly of nicotine receptors within the brain. During the Biophysical Society meeting, Feb. 11-15, 2017, Faruk Moonschi will present the group’s work, which centers on a fluorescence-based “single molecule” technique they developed.

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The lab of Prof. Alon Chen has found that, besides the classic stress response – an acute reaction that gradually abates when the threat passes – our bodies appear to have a separate mechanism that deals only with chronic stress. These findings may lead to better diagnosis of and treatment for anxiety and depression.

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Researchers have projected that aggressively lowering blood pressure could help prevent more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Experts from the University of Utah and institutions across the country built upon the landmark Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial which found that decreasing blood pressure to 120 mmHg compared to 140 mmHg reduced heart attack, stroke and death in people that were at high risk. Until now, the number of lives that could be saved was unknown.

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In a new study, researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have described how two important molecules in the brain work together to trigger intense anxiety.

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A specific gene that helps form memories from traumatic events can be manipulated – and in doing so may actually help prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new study led NYU Langone Medical Center.

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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a largely silent epidemic that affects roughly two million people each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the scale at which blast TBI (bTBI) injuries -- in the spotlight as the signature wound of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- occur and manifest is unknown. Recent studies within this realm suggest that rapid cavitation bubble collapse may be a potential mechanism for studying bTBI, and during the Biophysical Society’s meeting, Feb. 11-15, 2017, Jonathan Estrada will present his work exploring the mechanics of cavitation-induced injury -- with a goal of better understanding bTBIs.

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The emergence of e-cigarettes as a nicotine product has left scientists with many questions about their impact on health, including how the product interacts with depression. A new study by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), published today in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, found a connection between depression and initiation of e-cigarette use among college students.

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Babies born with extremely low birth weight are not only at risk for physical problems but are also more likely to experience mental health problems later in life, according to an analysis of research conducted over nearly 30 years.

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The loss of motor function and mental acuity associated with Huntington’s disease might be treatable by restoring a cellular quality control process, which Duke Health researchers have identified as a key factor in the degenerative illness.

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A remembrance of Leon Thal, MD, an early giant of Alzheimer’s disease research and treatment by Howard Feldman, MDCM, current director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

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Brain surgery for removing cancerous tissue is a delicate and high-stakes task. Now researchers funded by NIBIB have created a way to improve tumor removal surgery by distinguishing cancerous tissue from healthy tissue faster. The method developed by researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School makes brain tumor surgery more precise, improving safety.

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Currently, more than 34 million people in the U.S. care for terminally ill love ones, but few resources are available to help them navigate the challenges they encounter. A study at the University of Missouri School of Medicine found that nearly one-quarter of caregivers were moderately or severely depressed and nearly one-third had moderate or severe anxiety. The researchers recommend that health providers remember to treat the whole family, providing ongoing screening to family caregivers to identify early signs of depression and anxiety.

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A new study finds that concussion causes short-term impairment of the cardiovascular system but that these cardiovascular symptoms typically resolve within three days of the injury.

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Boston Children’s Hospital researchers have uncovered a new molecular pathway that inhibits the myelination of neurons in the brains of patients with the rare genetic disorder tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). The study, “Neuronal CTGF/CCN2 negatively regulates myelination in a mouse model of tuberous sclerosis complex,” which will be published online February 9 in The Journal of Experimental Medicine, suggests new ways to treat some of the neurological symptoms associated with TSC, including autism and epilepsy.

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In a concerted effort to help address the unique and complex needs of patients with headaches and migraines, NYU Langone has recruited nationally renowned expert Lawrence Newman, MD, to serve as its new director of the division of Headache Medicine division and as professor (clinical) in the Department of Neurology, where he will lead research and clinical efforts to combat these conditions that can drastically affect a patient’s quality of life.

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Research led by scientists at UC San Francisco and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has used brain “organoids” — tiny 3D models of human organs that scientists grow in a dish to study disease — to identify root causes of Miller-Dieker Syndrome (MDS), a rare genetic disorder that causes fatal brain malformations

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A simple blood test may be as accurate as a spinal fluid test when trying to determine whether symptoms are caused by Parkinson’s disease or another atypical parkinsonism disorder, according to a new study published in the February 8, 2017, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Columbia University researchers have evidence that giving a small dose of ketamine one week before a psychologically traumatic event may help prevent PTSD. The study, in mice, may have implications for soldiers who are at risk for trauma and PTSD.

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Researchers have identified a key neural pathway in humans that explains how the brain processes feelings of fear and anxiety, a finding that could help scientists unlock new ways to treat mental health disorders. Scary movies play supporting role.

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A new study by University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers has found that in mice, adjusting levels of a compound called kynurenic acid can have significant effects on schizophrenia-like behavior. The study appeared in the latest issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry.

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Research led by scientists at UC San Francisco and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has used brain “organoids” — tiny 3D models of human organs that scientists grow in a dish to study disease — to identify root causes of Miller-Dieker Syndrome (MDS), a rare genetic disorder that causes fatal brain malformations.

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Leading neuroscientists have clarified the role of a controversial immune system protein in Alzheimer’s disease, showing it has opposing effects in early and late stages of the disease. Their discovery unites previous studies that left researchers conflicted and showed the protein both exacerbates and ameliorates disease symptoms. The updated model of disease progression, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, also highlights the need to align certain therapies with disease stages when treating the 1 in 9 Americans over 65 living with Alzheimer’s.