Psychiatry
The latest psychiatry news from UNC Health Care and the UNC School of Medicine.
Is there a link between postpartum depression and the "love hormone"?
UNC researchers are launching a 5-year study aimed at understanding the role of oxytocin in postpartum depression and bonding between mothers and babies.
International study confirms multiple genes contribute to schizophrenia risk
By better understanding the molecular and biological mechanisms involved with schizophrenia, scientists hope to use this new genetic information to one day develop and design drugs that are more efficacious and have fewer side effects.
Review: Few Effective, Evidence-Based Interventions to Prevent Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
The review summarizes the results of a systematic review of clinical interventions for adults exposed to at least one traumatic event such as war, a natural or manmade disaster, motor vehicle accidents, community violence, sexual assault or domestic violence.
Alterations in brain activity in children at risk of schizophrenia predate onset of symptoms
Brain scans of children who have parents or siblings with the illness reveal a neural circuitry that is hyperactivated or stressed by tasks that peers with no family history of the illness seem to handle with ease.
UNC study shows how two brain areas interact to trigger divergent emotional behaviors
The findings could lead to new mental health therapies for disorders such as addiction, anxiety, and depression.
Atypical brain circuits may cause slower gaze shifting in infants who later develop autism
These findings suggest that 7-month-olds who go on to develop autism show subtle, yet overt, behavioral differences prior to the emergence of the disorder.
UCAN - Uniting Couples in the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa
Uniting Couples in the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa (UCAN) is a collaborative treatment research study between the UNC Eating Disorders Program and the UNC Department of Psychology and is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.
Klinger wins $450K grant to measure outcomes for adults with ASD
Laura Klinger, PhD, Principal Investigator of the study and Executive Director of TEACCH, will use the grant from Autism Speaks to conduct a landmark 40-year follow-up study of individuals served by the TEACCH Autism Program. Mark Klinger, PhD, and Joseph Piven, MD, are co-investigators on the study.
Risk genes for Alzheimer’s and mental illness linked to brain changes at birth
This study by UNC School of Medicine researchers is the first to report the impact of common gene variants on brain structure in newborns.
UNC Health Care names new medical director for WakeBrook Campus
Dr. Brian Sheitman will oversee transition of care at mental health facility.
Two UNC faculty receive Autism Centers of Excellence grants for new research
Multimillion dollar grants further enhance UNC’s recognition as one of the world’s top autism research centers
Autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder may share common underlying factors
New research led by Patrick F. Sullivan, MD, FRANZCP, a psychiatric geneticist at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, points to an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders among individuals whose parents or siblings have been diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
Study identifies factors related to violence in veterans
Veterans with protective factors in place such as employment, living stability and social support were 92 percent less likely to report severe violence than veterans without these factors.
Eating disorder behaviors and weight concerns are common in women over 50
A new study finds that 62 percent of women aged 50 and older say that their weight or shape negatively impacts on their life.
Chelminski, Meltzer-Brody named first Sanders Clinician Scholars
As the first two Sanders Clinician Scholars, Paul Chelminski, MD, MPH, and Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, MPH, will develop educational efforts to enhance supportive direct personal contact in the daily care of patients, and to teach others to do the same.
Meltzer-Brody named one of the Triangle’s Top 10 Women in Medicine
Triangle Medical News has selected Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, Director of the UNC Perinatal Psychiatry Program and Associate Professor of the UNC Department of Psychiatry, as one of the Triangle's Top 10 Women in Medicine.
Study shines light on brain mechanism that controls reward enjoyment
UNC researchers manipulate brain wiring to identify inner workings of reward enjoyment.
Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities Awarded $4.9M to Conduct Interdisciplinary Training
The DHHS's Maternal and Child Health Bureau will give the money to the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Training Program, part of the CIDD.
UNC investigator issues call to action for schizophrenia research
Instead of looking for a single cause of schizophrenia, researchers should approach it as a “pathway disease” – one that results from dozens or even hundreds of factors, argues Patrick F. Sullivan, MD.
UNC to open Comprehensive Angelman Syndrome Clinic
The new clinic, first of its kind in the nation, is one of only a few nationwide dedicated to Angelman Syndrome.
