A risk gene for bipolar disorder

Mice with a genetic mutation, which can also occur in humans, behave manically

04-Sep-2024 - The risk gene adenylyl cyclase 2 is associated with bipolar disorder, as has been repeatedly confirmed in genome-wide association studies. However, until now there has not been any proof of a causal relationship. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry have now provided this: for ...

Protective mechanism discovered in the formation of fear memories

Starting points for new therapies

20-Feb-2024 - Researchers at the Central Institute of Mental Health and Heidelberg University have identified a biological mechanism that regulates the strength of the memory of an aversive event. The results of their study offer new starting points for the development of therapies for psychiatric ...

Pregnant women should avoid ultraprocessed, fast foods

Curiously, it’s not the food that the study targets but what touches the food before you eat it

12-Feb-2024 - If you’re pregnant, you may want to think twice before making a hamburger run or reaching for a prepackaged pastry, according to researchpublishedlast month in the journal Environmental International. Oddly enough it’s not the food that the report targets — not the fries, burgers or even the ...

Risk factor for psychiatric disorders has different effects depending on sex

Risk gene can also have positive effects

06-Jun-2023 - FKBP51 is considered a risk factor for psychiatric disorders. However, for the first time, new research results have shown positive effects: Instead of making people anxious or impairing their ability to think, the protein can have the opposite effect and thus promote resilience. The effect it ...

Tracking the Happiness Hormone

Electrochemical serotonin microsensors for stable long-term measurement in real time

15-Feb-2023 - Dysregulation of serotonin plays a role in many psychiatric disorders, including severe depression and anxiety. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, a research team has now introduced an implantable, electrochemical microsensor that makes it possible to study serotonin dynamics in the brain in real ...

Is there a connection between musical engagement and mental health problems?

Musically Active People Have a Slightly Higher Genetic Risk for Certain Mental Illnesses

09-Feb-2023 - Intuitively, people commonly believe that making music is good for their mental health. Music therapies also rely on a positive influence of music on mental health problems. However, compared to musically inactive people, musicians more often seem to suffer from depression and anxiety disorders. ...

Virtual Therapy Against Real Anxieties

A startup develops virtual reality scenarios for the treatment of social phobias

20-Jul-2022 - Berlin-based “neomento GmbH” is a developer of virtual reality scenarios for the treatment of social phobias – an umbrella term for psychiatric disorders that occur when people meet and interact with each other. The company is a spin-off of DZNE. The asset of neomento’s technology is that therapy ...

Long term high-fat diet expands waistline and shrinks brain

“Obesity and diabetes impair the central nervous system, exacerbating psychiatric disorders and cognitive decline”

11-Jul-2022 - New research shows that fatty foods may not only be adding to your waistline but also playing havoc with your brain. An international study led by UniSA neuroscientists Professor Xin-Fu Zhou and Associate Professor Larisa Bobrovskaya has established a clear link between mice fed a high-fat diet ...

Findings on how gen YWHAZ can alter neuronal development

Innovative techniques for studying the genetics of autism

13-May-2022 - An article published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry reveals the molecular mechanisms to explain how the YWHAZ gene –related to psychiatric and neurological disorders such as autism and schizophrenia– can alter the neurodevelopmental process. The study, which uses a zebrafish as animal model, ...

Researchers develop blood test for depression, bipolar disorder

13-Apr-2021 - Worldwide, 1 in 4 people will suffer from a depressive episode in their lifetime. While current diagnosis and treatment approaches are largely trial and error, a breakthrough study by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers sheds new light on the biological basis of mood disorders, and ...