Smoking in Pregnancy Linked to Risk of Schizophrenia Diagnosis in Later Life
In the first study of its kind, researchers from Finland found the “most definitive evidence to date” that smoking during pregnancy is associated with the eventual diagnosis of schizophrenia in offspring. After controlling for other potential variables, the study, published ahead of print in The American Journal of Psychiatry, revealed a 38% increased odds of developing symptoms diagnosed as schizophrenia in young adults who were exposed to high levels of nicotine in utero.
“Medical Error—The Third Leading Cause of Death in the US”
In this podcast from the BMJ talk medicine series, researchers discuss their finding that medical error is the third leading cause of death in...
“Microbes Can Play Games With The Mind”
In the April issue of Science News, Laura Sanders covers recent studies that have begun turning up tantalizing hints about how microbes, the bacteria...
“Misdiagnosed Bipolar: One Girl’s Struggle”
The San Jose Mercury News tells the story of Tessa Gallo, who was wrongly diagnosed with bipolar disorder in sixth-grade when she actually had...
Is Increasing Antidepressant Use Contributing to the Obesity Epidemic?
Since the 1980s, antidepressant use has risen by at least four-hundred percent and obesity rates have climbed to include thirty percent of the population....
“Group Drumming Bangs Away at Anxiety and Depression”
“Prozac? Actually, percussion.” Researchers in the UK found that a ten-week drumming intervention significantly improved anxiety and depression for people seeking mental health treatment....
Exercise Effective for Early Psychosis, Studies Show
A new study out of the University of Manchester found that personalized exercise programs reduced the symptoms for young people suffering from their first episode of psychosis. Researchers also conducted an accompanying qualitative analysis and found that the participants experienced improved mental health, confidence, and a sense of achievement and felt that autonomy and social support were critical to their success.
“A Child’s First Eight Years Critical for Substance Abuse Prevention”
This week, the National Institute of Health (NIH) released a summary of new research on the effects of early childhood on substance abuse and...
“Sweat is the Best Antidepressant”
The University of Toronto recently opened a Mental Health and Physical Activity Research Centre to work with individual students, and to study the link...
Omega-3 Screening for Psychiatric Symptoms?
There is a substantial body of evidence suggesting that not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in your diet may be connected to a diverse array of psychiatric symptoms. In a new study published this month, psychiatrist Robert McNamara and Erik Messamore provide an overview of the evidence and call for screening of omega-3 deficiency in people experiencing symptoms associated with ADHD, depression, mood disorders, and psychosis.
“Sugar May be as Damaging to the Brain as Extreme Stress or Abuse”
“The fact that drinking sugar or exposure to early life stress reduced the expression of genes critical for brain development and growth is of...
“Sometimes It’s OK To Feel The Feels, Sweetheart”
“Tell her how you really feel: Dr. Julie Holland is asking women to embrace their inner ‘moody bitches."’ Dana Farrington at NPR discusses Holland’s...
Meditation and Exercise Reduce Depression Symptoms 40%
A combination of exercise and meditation done twice a week over two months may reduce depression symptoms by 40 percent, according to a new study published open-access this month in Translational Psychiatry. Following the eight-week intervention, the student participants that had previously been diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) reported significantly less symptoms and ruminative thoughts and students without any such diagnoses also showed remarkable improvements.
Antidepressants Increase Brain Bleed Risk
A study published in this month’s issue of Stroke found that antidepressants may increase the risk of microbleeds in the brain. Both SSRI and SNRI antidepressants can disrupt natural clotting mechanisms and lead to increased adverse bleeding incidents and prolonged bleeding times.
Mental Health Disability Claims Continue to Climb
According to new research by Joanna Moncrieff and Sebastião Viola, mental health problems have become the leading cause of disability claims in the UK. While the overall number of claims for other conditions has decreased by 35%, claims related to “mental disorders” have increased 103% since 1995.
“The Impact of Shift Work on Health”
Medical News Today provides an overview of the research on the effects of shift work on the physical and mental well-being of employees. "Although...
“When the Brain is Under Attack”
The Boston Globe reports on the discovery of a newly recognized neurological disease, anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. The disease is believed to be caused when the body’s immune system attacks proteins in the brain associated with the communication of neurons.
“Being Smart About Your Child’s Brain”
In an Op-Ed in the New York Times, Frank Bruni weighs in on the “concussion crisis,” and the long-term effects that sports-related brain injuries...
“Psychiatric Drug—Not Antibiotic—Messes with Gut Microbes, Spurs Obesity”
In a series of experiments in mice, researchers found that the drug risperidone alters gut microbes, which in turn profoundly influence metabolism, weight, and overall health.
From Phrenology to Brain Scans: How Shaky Neuroscience has Influenced Courts
In “When Phrenology Was Used in Court,” Geoffrey S. Holtzman writes for Slate about the spurious use of brain science in legal cases. In the 1800’s the “science of phrenology” promised to reveal criminal psychological traits by measuring the skull and today defense teams still employ neurogenetic explanations for their client’s violent behavior.
Is The Microbiome our Puppeteer?
“My message today is that your state of gut will affect your state of mind. To have a healthy brain, we may need a...
“Second Patient Dies in Zafgen Obesity Drug Trial”
Two patients have now died while taking the drug beloranib in an obesity drug trial. Both patients were in the active arm of the study and had received the drug rather than a placebo. Zafgen did not say whether it believed the drug had caused the blood clotting in the lungs that led to the patient’s death.
Researchers Develop New Model for Understanding Depression
Acknowledging that current depression treatments are failing many people, researchers from Michigan State and MIT have developed a new model for understanding how multiple psychological, biological, social and environmental factors contribute to depression.
Brain Imaging Reveals Psychiatric Disorders are Not Neurological Disorders
Some researchers have been arguing to reclassify all psychiatric disorders as diseases of the brain and nervous system, similar to epilepsy or Parkinson's disease. Neuroimaging research, however, reveals that psychiatric disorders appear to be distinct from neurological disorders, according to a new study published in this month’s issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry.
“Why We Need to Abandon the Disease-Model of Mental Health Care”
In a guest blog for the Scientific American, Peter Kinderman takes on the “harmful myth” that our more distressing emotions can best be understood as symptoms of physical illnesses. “Our present approach to helping vulnerable people in acute emotional distress is severely hampered by old-fashioned, inhumane and fundamentally unscientific ideas about the nature and origins of mental health problems.”
