psychiatry

Maternal mental health is a critical, under-recognized factor in the rising maternal mortality rates in the United States, with conditions such as depression and overdose significantly contributing to new mothers’ deaths. Immediate action is required to prioritize and address maternal mental health in healthcare policies.Policy changes, resources essential to reverse public health crisis driving “demise of mothers.”Painting a sobering picture, a research team led by Children’s National Hospital culled years of data…

Research indicates a J-shaped relationship between dietary thiamine (vitamin B1) intake and cognitive decline in older adults. The study reveals that optimal thiamine intake is crucial for preventing cognitive decline in older adults, suggesting a daily range between 0.6 and 1 mg. Credit: SciTechDaily.comThiamine sweet spot seems to be 0.68 mg/day among healthy older people to ward off decline. Optimal maintenance dose seems to be 0.6 to less than 1 mg/day.There seems to be a J-shaped curve between dietary thiamine…

By Elizabeth Fernandez, University of California - San Francisco February 27, 2024UCSF research establishes a connection between childhood trauma and lifelong health consequences, emphasizing the critical need for early detection and intervention to mitigate the risk of physical and cognitive impairments in later life. Credit: SciTechDaily.comAdverse childhood experiences have impacts deep into old age, especially for those who experienced violence, and include both physical and cognitive impairments.It’s known that a…

Cognitive behavioral therapy effectively reduces anxiety symptoms and alters brain activity in children with anxiety disorders, offering insights for personalized treatment approaches. Credit: SciTechDaily.comNIH researchers found widespread differences in the brains of children with anxiety disorders that improved after treatment.Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found overactivation in many brain regions, including the frontal and parietal lobes and the amygdala, in unmedicated children with anxiety…

Columbia University researchers reveal a sensitive adolescent period that shapes adult behavior through dopamine function, highlighting the complex impact of stimulant exposure on developing brains and potential psychiatric outcomes. Credit: SciTechDaily.com Drugs blocking dopamine transporters may be harmful for healthy teens but helpful for those with pathological dopamine hypofunction.In a breakthrough finding researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center identified a sensitive developmental period during…

Anyone who's experienced the heartbreak of a relationship ending knows it can be emotionally devastating. But scientists have found that a breakup also has physical effects on our brains — and our bodies. In Love Hurts: The Science of Heartbreak, a documentary from The Nature of Things, Anthony Morgan speaks with researchers and scientists to discover the biological effects of a broken heart. In the documentary, Morgan meets a team researching Takotsubo syndrome, where the stress of heartbreak or loss can actually change…

Roughly every month I receive an e-mail from a parent somewhere in the world asking for help with a child who is violent, angry or aggressive. Some people describe being physically beaten or having their life threatened by their son or daughter. These families may spend thousands of dollars on special schools and treatments. Often they are desperate, afraid and looking for guidance.Psychologists recognize several conditions that are characterized by violence and aggression. They include conduct disorder and disruptive…

America has always been a society of paranoids, famed for its persecution of imaginary subversives, from witches to commies hiding under the bed. But that history almost seems quaint today when disinformation experts agree we now live in the Golden Age of Conspiracy Theories. This mania has even swept up pop idol Taylor Swift and the 2024 election, as you may have heard, into only the latest reductio ad absurdum of the era.There’s a lot going on at the moment. UFOs are now mainstream, and it’s only a matter of time before…

Billionaire technologist Elon Musk announced this week that his company Neuralink has implanted its brain-computer interface into a human for the first time. The recipient was “recovering well,” Musk wrote on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Monday evening, adding that initial results showed “promising neuron spike detection”—a reference to brain cells’ electrical activity.Each wireless Neuralink device contains a chip and electrode arrays of more than 1,000 superthin, flexible conductors that a surgical…

A Columbia University study shows that positive adult-child relationships during childhood enhance adult mental health, regardless of adverse childhood experiences. The research indicates that social relationships, excluding peer relationships, reduce depression and anxiety risks, challenging traditional notions of resilience factors like family religiosity. Credit: SciTechDaily.comRelationships with caring adults provide a buffer against depression and anxiety, regardless of adverse childhood experiences.A Columbia…