Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

biocrea and Pfizer jointly presented details on novel PDE10 inhibitors

biocrea, a biopharmaceutical company focusing on novel treatments for disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), today reported details on the design and synthesis of novel, brain-penetrating phosphodiesterase-10 (PDE10) inhibitors developed in collaboration with Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE). The data were featured in joint presentations1 with Pfizer at the recent 241st ACS National Meeting & Exposition, an event organized by the American Chemical Society (ACS).

10 May 2011

Psychological distress affects IVF outcomes

There is no doubt that undergoing infertility treatment is stressful, with high rates of anxiety and depression reported by many patients. Mind/body therapies designed to help women reduce stress earlier in the treatment process result in higher pregnancy rates, but little is known specifically about the impact of these therapies on women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).

10 May 2011

EAS receives NIH grant to continue Alzheimer's disease research

An estimated five million Americans have Alzheimer's disease. Health experts expect the number of cases to rise dramatically as the population ages - reaching 13.5 million by 2050.

10 May 2011

MHA's annual awards recognize outstanding health care leaders, innovative programs

Innovative programs and outstanding leaders in health care were honored Friday, May 6 at the Minnesota Hospital Association's 27th annual awards ceremony at the Metropolitan Ballroom in Minneapolis.

10 May 2011

Successful treatment of depression in mothers improves behavior of children

Children whose mothers are successfully treated for depression show progressive and marked improvement in their own behaviors even a year after their moms discontinue treatment, new UT Southwestern Medical Center-led research shows.

10 May 2011

Genetic mutation linked to Kufs disease

According to a new study, a genetic mutation thought to be responsible for the rare hereditary brain disorder Kufs disease is finally identified. The research was carried out by Dr Melanie Bahlo and her team at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute's bioinformatics department in Parkville, Australia, in partnership with neurologist and epilepsy specialists Professor Sam Berkovic and Dr Todor Arsov from the University of Melbourne, Australia.

10 May 2011

Ecstasy use falls while synthetic versions grow in popularity

Where on one hand the use of ecstasy is falling in Australia, experts are warning that the use of dangerous designer synthetic drugs, which can be made legally, may begin to rise. Ecstasy, one of the most popular “recreational” drugs in Australia over the past two decades is becoming less popular with regular users, consistent with global trends, say the authors of a new report from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of NSW.

10 May 2011

Uganda: First vaccination for GMZ2 malaria vaccine trial

Today, the EDCTP-funded GMZ2 consortium starts volunteer enrolment for the phase IIb clinical trial of the candidate malaria vaccine GMZ2 in Uganda. This is the third trial site to initiate volunteer recruitment for this multi-country study. Vaccination is already underway at trial sites in Gabon (November 2010) and Burkina Faso (April 2011). The Uganda site is in the peri-urban area of Iganga/Mayuge, at the Iganga Hospital. Akin to most areas in Uganda, malaria is one of the major health problems in this district. A team from Makerere University (Kampala) is conducting the trial.

9 May 2011

State roundup: Concerns about state employee retirement boom

Plummeting stock portfolios and home values prompted many Baby Boomers to keep working long after retirement age. ... "What was once a planned exit is no longer a planned exit," says Daniel Hackler, Indiana's state personnel director.

9 May 2011

Psychotherapeutic treatment can cure cyclothymic disorder

In the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics a group of Italian investigators headed by Giovanni Fava published a randomized controlled trial on psychotherapeutic treatment of cyclothymic disorder, a disturbance that is characterized by rapid alternation of mood swings.

9 May 2011

Elan Drug Technologies, Alkermes merge to form new company in Ireland

Alkermes, Inc. and Elan Corporation, plc today announced the execution of a definitive agreement under which Alkermes will merge with Elan Drug Technologies, the profitable, world-class drug formulation and manufacturing business unit of Elan, in a cash and stock transaction currently valued at approximately $960 million.

9 May 2011

Mithridion's MCD-386CR receives Orphan Drug designation from FDA for PSP treatment

Mithridion, Inc., a privately-owned clinical stage drug development company focusing on serious Central Nervous System disorders, announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has awarded Orphan Drug designation for MCD-386CR, its lead drug candidate, for the treatment of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

9 May 2011

ADHD in children linked to stress and depression during pregnancy

According to the latest research women who are depressed or severely stressed during their pregnancy have a greater chance of having children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It has been known till now that ADHD is largely inheritable but now it comes out that antenatal anxiety could contribute to 15 per cent of cases of the behavioural condition in children.

8 May 2011

Summit Entertainment, Participant Media create depression awareness campaign

Inspired by Participant Media and Summit Entertainment's THE BEAVER, Participant has created a Social public Action Campaign to increase awareness about depression, teaming with three leading non-profit organizations known for effectively providing hope and help to those affected by depression and other forms of mental illness: the National Alliance on Mental Illness, To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) and the Kristin Brooks Hope Center.

7 May 2011

Research sheds light on transmission of obesity among friends and family

Obesity is socially contagious, according to research published in the past few years. How it is "caught" from others remains a murky area. But findings from Arizona State University researchers published online May 5 in the American Journal of Public Health shed light on the transmission of obesity among friends and family.

7 May 2011

Researchers use virtual computer model to understand schizophrenic brains

Computer networks that can't forget fast enough can show symptoms of a kind of virtual schizophrenia, giving researchers further clues to the inner workings of schizophrenic brains, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Yale University have found.

6 May 2011

Novel neurotransmitter could fight against neurological diseases

A team of scientists has discovered that D-aspartic acid is a novel neurotransmitter that could potentially be used in the fight against neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and schizophrenia.

6 May 2011

Omeros' PDE7 program expands addiction franchise

Omeros Corporation today announced that its phosphodiesterase 7 inhibitors demonstrated robust efficacy in animal models of nicotine addiction.

6 May 2011

Pregnant Latinas who endure partner violence more likely to suffer postpartum depression

Latinas who endure violence at the hands of a partner during or within a year of pregnancy are five times more likely to suffer postpartum depression than women who have not experienced such violence, according to a new study by researchers at the UCLA Center for Culture, Trauma and Mental Health Disparities.

6 May 2011

Study examines community-based HIV testing programs in Africa, Southeast Asia

If you want to improve HIV testing rates in remote rural areas, get the community involved, says UCLA's Thomas Coates, who has directed a new study examining HIV testing programs in communities in Africa and Southeast Asia.

6 May 2011