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psychiatry

·August 9, 2012·2 min read

Brain Hubs Boil when Hoarders Face Pitching Their Own Stuff

In patients with hoarding disorder, parts of a decision-making brain circuit under-activated when dealing with others’ possessions, but over-activated when deciding whether to keep or discard their own things.

Featured Neurology Psychology

·August 6, 2012·8 min read

Brain Signal IDs Responders to Fast-Acting Antidepressants

Scientists have discovered a biological marker that may help to identify which depressed patients will respond to an experimental, rapid-acting antidepressant like ketamine. The brain signal, detectable by noninvasive imaging, also holds clues to the agent's underlying mechanism, which are vital for drug development, say NIH researchers.

Featured Neurology Psychology

·July 30, 2012·2 min read

Brain Development is Delayed in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Researchers found that development of the cortical surface is delayed in frontal brain regions in children with ADHD. The typically developing children attained 50% peak area in the right prefrontal cortex at a mean age of 12.7 years, whereas the ADHD children didn’t reach this peak until 14.6 years of age.

Autism Featured Psychology

·July 17, 2012·4 min read

Researchers Find Evidence of Link between Immune Irregularities and Autism

A new Caltech study suggests that specific changes in an overactive immune system can indeed contribute to autism-like behaviors in mice, and that in some cases, this activation can be related to what a developing fetus experiences in the womb.

Electrophysiology Featured Psychology

·July 11, 2012·7 min read

Why the Thrill is Gone: Scientists Identify Potential Target for Treating Major Symptom of Depression

Scientists have laid bare a novel molecular mechanism responsible for the major depression symptom, anhedonia, the loss of the ability to experience pleasure. The brain circuit involved in this newly elucidated pathway is largely identical between rodents and humans, upping the odds that the findings point toward new therapies for depression and other disorders. Additionally, opinion leaders hailed the study’s inventive methodology, saying it may offer a much sounder approach to testing new antidepressants.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 6, 2012·4 min read

When Anxiety Won’t Go Away

Scientists discovered a mechanism which stops the process of forgetting anxiety after a stress event. They showed that feelings of anxiety don’t subside if too little dynorphin is released into the brain. The results can help open up new paths in the treatment of trauma patients.

Featured Neurology Psychology

·July 2, 2012·6 min read

Women Infected with Toxoplasma Gondii Parasite Have Increased Risk of Attempting Suicide

Women infected with the Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) parasite, which is spread through contact with cat feces or eating undercooked meat or unwashed vegetables, are at increased risk of attempting suicide, according to a new study of more than 45,000 women in Denmark.