Schizophrenia is one of the most widely misunderstood of human maladies. The truth of the illness is far different from popular caricatures of a sufferer muttering incoherently or lashing out violently. People with schizophrenia are, in fact, not more likely to be violent than people without schizophrenia. About one per cent of the worldwide population…
Category: Psychiatry
Alzheimer’s Psychiatric Symptoms Linked To Early Brain Pathology
The earliest stages of the brain degeneration associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are linked to neuropsychiatric symptoms including anxiety, depression, loss of appetite, and sleep disturbances, a study from UC San Francisco researchers, in collaboration with the unique Brazilian Biobank for Aging Studies (BBAS) at the University of São Paulo, has shown. The findings could…
Mental Health Diagnostic Labels: How Useful are They?
The number of people diagnosed with a mental health condition is increasing, globally. Diagnostic labels can act as passports to accessing public services and help create communities of individuals with the same label. But are these reasons enough to justify their continued use? Getting a diagnostic label is no guarantee of getting the right treatment…
Volition Disrupting Lesions Occur In Single Brain Network
Although injuries disrupting volition — the desire to act — can occur in many different locations, they fall within the same brain network, a new study indicates. Injuries disrupting agency — the feeling of responsibility for carrying out those actions — also can occur in many different locations, but they fall within a separate network.…
Memories of Trauma Are Unique Because of How Brains and Bodies Respond to Threat
Most of what you experience leaves no trace in your memory. Learning new information often requires a lot of effort and repetition – picture studying for a tough exam or mastering the tasks of a new job. It’s easy to forget what you’ve learned, and recalling details of the past can sometimes be challenging. But…
Functional Neural Signature An Early Warning Sign Of Psychosis
Brains of people at risk of psychosis show a pattern that can help predict whether they will go on to develop full-fledged schizophrenia, a new Yale-led study indicates. The findings could help doctors begin early intervention therapies for those most likely to develop the disabling disorder. Using fMRI images of people who exhibit features indicating…
Alcohol And The Aging Prefrontal Cortex
There’s really no way around it. Like all other organs and tissues of the human body, the brain is subject to the aging process and the typical structural and functional changes that go along with it. With normal aging, the brain begins to shrink in middle age, losing volume primarily in the frontal lobes and…
Neuron Resynchronization Suppresses Hyperactivity And Memory Deficit In Schizophrenia
Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have deciphered a cellular mechanism leading to the desynchronization of neural networks, and corrected this organizational defect in an adult schizophrenia animal model, thereby suppressing abnormal behaviours associated with the condition. The findings show that a therapeutic intervention is possible at all ages. Schizophrenia, an often severe and…
Inhaled Amiloride Shows Promise As Anxiety Attack Preventative
An inhaled form of amiloride, a high blood pressure medication, has potential to treat certain types of anxiety as well as pain, a new study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) reports. Anxiety disorders are usually treated with different types of medications, such as antidepressants, and psychotherapy. Amiloride is a medication offering…