psychiatry

Longer telomeres after treatment with lithium
05/24/2013 - 07:13

A new study from Karolinska Institutet reveals that lithium treatments for bipolar disorder can sometimes increase the length of so-called telomeres, the sections of DNA at the end of the chromosomes in the cell nucleus. The shortening of these telomeres has been linked to ageing, stress and mental disease, and the researchers now hope that their results will mark the first step on the path to a more individualised treatment of bipolar disorder.

 

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First Long-Term Study Reveals Link Between Childhood ADHD and Obesity
05/20/2013 - 10:38

A new study conducted by researchers at the Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center found men diagnosed as children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were twice as likely to be obese in a 33-year follow-up study compared to men who were not diagnosed with the condition. The study appears in the May 20 online edition of Pediatrics.

 

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Wider definition of ADHD could benefit more people with symptoms
05/06/2013 - 12:14

Getting diagnosed and treated for attention deficient/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is about to get easier for the more than 13 million people who struggle with distractibility and other symptoms.

 

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Researchers Reveal New More Precise Method of Performing Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
05/06/2013 - 09:56

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective acute treatment for severe major depression. However, even with newer forms of ECT, there remains a significant risk of adverse cognitive effects, particularly memory problems.

 

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Bigger birth weight babies at greater risk of autism
05/02/2013 - 10:10

The biggest study of fetal growth and autism ever has reported that babies whose growth is at either extreme in the womb, either very small or very large, are at greater risk of developing autism.

 

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Autism risk spotted at birth in abnormal placentas
04/25/2013 - 10:53

Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine have figured out how to measure an infant’s risk of developing autism by looking for abnormalities in his/her placenta at birth, allowing for earlier diagnosis and treatment for the developmental disorder. The findings are reported in the April 25 online issue of Biological Psychiatry.

 

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