Feature Channels: Mental Health

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Brain surgery for removing cancerous tissue is a delicate and high-stakes task. Now researchers funded by NIBIB have created a way to improve tumor removal surgery by distinguishing cancerous tissue from healthy tissue faster. The method developed by researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School makes brain tumor surgery more precise, improving safety.

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Currently, more than 34 million people in the U.S. care for terminally ill love ones, but few resources are available to help them navigate the challenges they encounter. A study at the University of Missouri School of Medicine found that nearly one-quarter of caregivers were moderately or severely depressed and nearly one-third had moderate or severe anxiety. The researchers recommend that health providers remember to treat the whole family, providing ongoing screening to family caregivers to identify early signs of depression and anxiety.

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A new study finds that concussion causes short-term impairment of the cardiovascular system but that these cardiovascular symptoms typically resolve within three days of the injury.

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Boston Children’s Hospital researchers have uncovered a new molecular pathway that inhibits the myelination of neurons in the brains of patients with the rare genetic disorder tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). The study, “Neuronal CTGF/CCN2 negatively regulates myelination in a mouse model of tuberous sclerosis complex,” which will be published online February 9 in The Journal of Experimental Medicine, suggests new ways to treat some of the neurological symptoms associated with TSC, including autism and epilepsy.

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In a concerted effort to help address the unique and complex needs of patients with headaches and migraines, NYU Langone has recruited nationally renowned expert Lawrence Newman, MD, to serve as its new director of the division of Headache Medicine division and as professor (clinical) in the Department of Neurology, where he will lead research and clinical efforts to combat these conditions that can drastically affect a patient’s quality of life.

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Research led by scientists at UC San Francisco and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has used brain “organoids” — tiny 3D models of human organs that scientists grow in a dish to study disease — to identify root causes of Miller-Dieker Syndrome (MDS), a rare genetic disorder that causes fatal brain malformations

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A simple blood test may be as accurate as a spinal fluid test when trying to determine whether symptoms are caused by Parkinson’s disease or another atypical parkinsonism disorder, according to a new study published in the February 8, 2017, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Columbia University researchers have evidence that giving a small dose of ketamine one week before a psychologically traumatic event may help prevent PTSD. The study, in mice, may have implications for soldiers who are at risk for trauma and PTSD.

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Researchers have identified a key neural pathway in humans that explains how the brain processes feelings of fear and anxiety, a finding that could help scientists unlock new ways to treat mental health disorders. Scary movies play supporting role.

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A new study by University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers has found that in mice, adjusting levels of a compound called kynurenic acid can have significant effects on schizophrenia-like behavior. The study appeared in the latest issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry.

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Research led by scientists at UC San Francisco and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has used brain “organoids” — tiny 3D models of human organs that scientists grow in a dish to study disease — to identify root causes of Miller-Dieker Syndrome (MDS), a rare genetic disorder that causes fatal brain malformations.

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Leading neuroscientists have clarified the role of a controversial immune system protein in Alzheimer’s disease, showing it has opposing effects in early and late stages of the disease. Their discovery unites previous studies that left researchers conflicted and showed the protein both exacerbates and ameliorates disease symptoms. The updated model of disease progression, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, also highlights the need to align certain therapies with disease stages when treating the 1 in 9 Americans over 65 living with Alzheimer’s.

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The University of Maryland School of Medicine announced that it has hired several top scientists in a range of fields, including orthopaedics and brain science.

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A federal law aimed at requiring equal insurance benefits for both physical and mental health care has increased the use of services by children with autism spectrum disorder without increasing the out-of-pocket costs to their families, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health-led research suggests.

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Photo Gallery: Magnet the Weight of 30 Elephants Lowered Through Roof of USC Stevens Hall for Next-Gen 7T MRI Machine

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Neurosurgeons want the quickest, most accurate information to help them make decisions during brain tumor surgery. A new technique could help.

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The effects a concussion has on driving a vehicle may continue to linger even after the symptoms disappear, according to a new study by University of Georgia researchers.

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Technology offers new options to those with prosthetics

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A new study, presented this week at the Association of Academic Physiatrists Annual Meeting in Sacramento, Calif., shows college students take significantly more time to recover from a concussion than the general national average of seven to 14 days.

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After experiencing bad headaches and double vision, Kris Johnson was diagnosed with a pituitary adenoma, a tumor in a very delicate location at the base of the brain. Surgeons removed the tumor through the nostrils, without damaging surrounding tissues or even touching the brain.

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A rare look at brain surgery with the patient alert and awake at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven.

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Doctor visits can be a challenge for patients with autism, their families and health care providers. Kristin Sohl, associate professor of child health at the University of Missouri, offers several steps providers and families can take to make medical visits more successful. She says that all of them require good communication between the provider and parent before, during and after medical visits.

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Clinical neuropsychologist Kristen Dams-O’Connor, PhD, has been named Director of The Brain Injury Research Center (BIRC) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS)

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Sleep—one of the most basic, yet most mystifying processes of the human body—has confounded physicians, scientists and evolutionary biologists for centuries.

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Researchers have found that the microorganisms residing in the intestines (microbiota) play a role in the development of high blood pressure in rats. The study is published in Physiological Genomics. It was chosen as an APS select article for February.

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Studying mice, scientists at Johns Hopkins have fortified evidence that a key purpose of sleep is to recalibrate the brain cells responsible for learning and memory so the animals can "solidify" lessons learned and use them when they awaken -- in the case of nocturnal mice, the next evening.

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A groundbreaking report out of Harvard University explores who is responsible for the health of NFL players, why, and what ca be done to promote player health. The authors of the report are available for interviews.

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Early predictors of anxiety and depression may be evident in the brain even at birth, suggests a study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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The Super Bowl is one of the most watched events on the planet. When the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons face off in Super Bowl LI on Sunday, Feb. 5, in Houston, Texas, millions will be watching and rooting for their favorite teams or players. For fans, their pregame ritual may center around Super Bowl commercials, nacho recipes and who will sing the National Anthem, but what’s going on in these elite athletes’ heads before the big game? Florida State University professors Graig Chow and Gershon Tenenbaum are experts on sport psychology and how professionals can help players prepare to compete in the biggest game of their careers.

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Soccer players who head the ball a lot are three times more likely to have concussion symptoms than players who don’t head the ball often, according to a new study published in the February 1, 2017, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Frequent soccer ball heading is a common and under recognized cause of concussion symptoms, according to a study of amateur players led by Albert Einstein College of Medicine researchers. The findings run counter to earlier soccer studies suggesting concussion injuries mainly result from inadvertent head impacts, such as collisions with other players or a goalpost. The study was published online today in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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As the number of grandparents caring for grandchildren full-time continues to swell, so do the stress-induced health risks associated with such a demanding responsibility. Now, a four-year, $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will allow researchers at Case Western Reserve University’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing to refine and test a new approach to help grandmothers manage the stresses of the this new role—and hopefully reduce the emotional and physical fallout that often results.

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Researchers report they have discovered how two problem proteins known to cause Parkinson's disease are chemically linked, suggesting that someday, both could be neutralized by a single drug designed to target the link. A report on their discovery appears in the Jan. 24 issue of Cell Reports.

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Adults on the autism spectrum see their interests as possible fields of study and career paths, as well as ways to mitigate anxiety, finds a study by NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

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Researchers with Beaumont Health System found that patients’ self-reported pain and anxiety scores improved immediately after a clinical massage, while other patients who listened to a guided-imagery recording found the intervention to be very helpful, reporting improvements in pain, anxiety and insomnia.

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The University of Washington-based Forefront will host a Feb. 16 memorial for state residents who died by suicide and join firearms dealers, veterans’ organizations, pharmacists, health care providers and suicide attempt and loss survivors to advocate for two legislative bills as part of Suicide Prevention Education Day in Olympia, WA.

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Nationwide, the mortality rate from deaths caused by drugs, alcohol and suicide rose 52 percent from 2000 to 2014, according to new research from the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. Most of the increase was driven by a surge in prescription opioid and heroin overdoses.

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Adolescents who are violent toward their romantic partners are also more likely to think about or attempt suicide, carry a weapon, threaten others with a weapon and use drugs or alcohol than peers in non-violent relationships, according to new research from the University of Georgia.

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The study was commissioned by the West Midlands Mental Health Commission, a task force set up by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), to assess the current costs of mental ill health and current service provision across the region. It was led by the Health Services Management Centre at the University of Birmingham in partnership with the Centre for Mental Health.

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A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is giving researchers a first look at the early stages of brain development in patients with Fragile X syndrome, a disorder that causes mild to severe intellectual disability and is the most common genetic cause of autism spectrum disorder.

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An international consortium of academic research institutions have been awarded a $21 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop better ways to prevent epilepsy in patients who have suffered traumatic brain injuries.

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The ancient impulse to procreate is necessary for survival and must be hardwired into our brains. Now scientists from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have discovered an important clue about the neurons involved in that wiring.

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Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after a traumatic event or events. Although it is most often associated with military personnel exposed to the trauma of combat, it can also disproportionately affect vulnerable American Indian and Alaskan-Native (AI/AN) populations. Because alcohol use disorders (AUDs) also have a disproportionate impact on AI/ANs, this study compared both lifetime PTSD and past-year AUD among AI/ANs and non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs).

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UNC School of Medicine researchers crystalized the structure of LSD attached to a human serotonin receptor of a brain cell, and they may have discovered why an “acid trip” lasts so long.

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Reliable assessment of comatose patients in intensive care units is critical to the patients’ care. Providers must recognize clinical status changes quickly to undertake proper interventions. But does the provider need to be in the same room as the patient, or can robotic telemedicine be used successfully to complete the assessment? According to a research study conducted at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Arizona, published in Telemedicine and e-Health, the answer is yes.

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The shape of your brain can influence personality traits, according to a new study published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

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An important step in planning tumor surgery includes assessing the tumor stiffness to aid in surgical planning. Because tumors within the skull cannot be examined non-invasively, researchers used Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) to assess pituitary tumor stiffness. MRE reliably identified tumors that were soft enough for removal with a minimally-invasive suction technique versus harder tumors requiring more invasive surgery.