Science News
Find Press Releases and Science Updates by Topic
- Largest Study of Its Kind Implicates Gene Abnormalities in Bipolar Disorder
-
August 18, 2008
•
Press Release
The largest genetic analysis of its kind to date for bipolar disorder has implicated machinery involved in the balance of sodium and calcium in brain cells. Researchers supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, found an association between the disorder and variation in two genes that make components of channels that manage the flow of the elements into and out of cells, including neurons. - A Night’s Sleep Gives Emotional Memories Their Staying Power
-
August 14, 2008
•
Science Update
For the first time, researchers have found that following a night’s sleep, emotional components of scenes are remembered at the expense of neutral components. In contrast, memories of both emotional and neutral components decayed equally following 12 hours of wakefulness. Sleep also promoted memory for generality over detail, says NIMH grantee Robert Stickgold, Ph.D., of Harvard University, who co-authored the recent study of memory consolidation. - Borderline Personality Disorder: Brain Differences Related to Disruptions in Cooperation in Relationships
-
August 12, 2008
•
Science Update
Different patterns of brain activity in people with borderline personality disorder were associated with disruptions in the ability to recognize social norms or modify behaviors that likely result in distrust and broken relationships, according to an NIMH-funded study published online in the August 8, 2008 issue of Science. - “Signatures” of Errant Gene Expression in Autism Eyed for Diagnostic Test
-
August 1, 2008
•
Science Update
Researchers have launched an effort to detect profiles of gene expression associated with autism that could some day form the basis of a diagnostic test for the disorder. The study, supported by a new grant from NIMH’s Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science, is searching for “signatures” in patterns of such expression in autism that could be clues to underlying abnormalities in the machinery that turns genes on and off in response to experience, as the brain is wired up during the first years of life. - Depression Patients’ Brain Circuitry Makes Them Vulnerable to Relapse
-
August 1, 2008
•
Science Update
Using brain imaging, NIMH researchers have produced direct evidence that people prone to depression -- even when they’re feeling well -- have abnormal mood-regulating brain circuitry. This makes them vulnerable to relapse when levels of certain key brain chemical messengers plummet. - Mechanism for Postpartum Depression Found in Mice
-
July 30, 2008
•
Press Release
Researchers have pinpointed a mechanism in the brains of mice that could explain why some human mothers become depressed following childbirth. The discovery could lead to improved treatment for postpartum depression. Supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health, of the National Institutes of Health, the study used genetically engineered mice lacking a protein critical for adapting to the sex hormone fluctuations of pregnancy and the postpartum period. - Increased Burden of Rare Genetic Variations Found in Schizophrenia
-
July 30, 2008
•
Press Release
People with schizophrenia bear an “increased burden” of rare deletions and duplications of genetic material, genome-wide, say researchers supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). - Errant Stress/Immune Indicators Detected in Depression-Prone Women’s Sweat
-
July 29, 2008
•
Science Update
An experimental skin patch test detected abnormal levels of markers for immune function and stress in the sweat of women with histories of depression, NIMH researchers say. If confirmed, the non-invasive technique could become an easier alternative to a blood test for predicting risk for inflammatory disorders, such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes, which often occur with depression. - Health Risks Associated with Certain Antipsychotics Warrant Extra Monitoring
-
July 24, 2008
•
Science Update
Some atypical antipsychotics may be more likely than others to cause metabolic and cardiovascular side effects, according to recent analyses using data from the NIMH-funded Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE). - Age-related Decline of ADHD Symptoms Disrupted by Middle School
-
July 21, 2008
•
Science Update
Although symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) can last into adulthood, typically they decline as a child gets older.
