Anorexia not just a psychiatric disorder, it is also metabolic
A large scale genome-wide study suggest the origins of anorexia include both metabolic and psychiatric components.... Read More...
Schizophrenia
Are the ‘viral’ agents of MS, ALS and schizophrenia buried in our genome?
Retroviruses may be a missing causal link in diseases like ALS, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia.... Read More...
Study finds psychiatric diagnosis to be ‘scientifically meaningless’
Researchers conclude many psychiatric diagnoses are scientifically worthless as tools for identifying discrete mental health disorders.... Read More...
Why marijuana affects different people differently
By looking at THC’s effect on a rat brain, the researchers showed that THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, can produce highly rewarding effects in the front-most part of a region of the brain called the nucleus accumbens. The image is in the public domain.... Read More...
Determined DNA hunt reveals schizophrenia clue
NAPRT1, a gene that encodes an enzyme involved in vitamin B3 metabolism, may be a risk factor for schizophrenia. Knocking out the gene in zebrafish models, researchers discovered brain development became impaired. Without NAPRT1, the fish brains failed to divide symmetrically, which is significant as defects in the corpus callosum have been identified in those with schizophrenia.... Read More...
Early detection of schizophrenia
Elevated levels of inhibited temperament in childhood may reflect a vulnerability for developing schizophrenia.... Read More...
Boosting amino acid derivative may be a treatment for schizophrenia
Reduced levels of an amino acid called betaine is associated with schizophrenia pathology. Supplementing betaine levels improved cognitive and behavioral deficits in mouse models of schizophrenia. The amino acid also reduced oxidative stress at the molecular level.... Read More...
Article rebuttal: Exercise as a primary prescription for mental health disorders should be approached with caution
Recently an article was published that stated exercise should be the new primary prescription for mental health disorders, however, as of right now there are a number of reasons why this should not be the case. While exercise has shown proven benefits in individuals with various disorders, only depression has adequate evidence to suggest exercise can potentially replace psychotherapy or medication. Until more thorough research is conducted on a multitude of disorders, exercise needs to be promoted along with traditional therapies or done on a case by case basis if it is to be the sole treatment.... Read More...
Adolescence is the game-changer for schizophrenia
Teens with schizophrenia symptoms and a genetic abnormality of chromosome 22 had significant brain atrophy in the hippocampus compared to those with the genetic variant and no psychiatric symptoms.... Read More...
The whisper of schizophrenia: Machine learning finds ‘sound’ words predict psychosis
A new deep learning algorithm can predict those at risk of psychosis with 93% accuracy by examining the latent semantic content of an individual's speech.... Read More...
Women who are experiencing domestic abuse are nearly three times as likely to develop mental illness
Women who experience interpersonal violence from their partners are three times as likely to develop a mental health problem, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Not only did researchers find a higher chance of developing a mental illness following domestic abuse, but also discovered those with a mental health problem were more likely to experience abuse in future relationships. ... Read More...
Individuals who attempt suicide carry an increased genetic liability for depression, regardless of their psychiatric disorder
A genetic liability for major depression increases suicide risk across other psychiatric disorders. ... Read More...