CIENCIASMEDICASNEWS: Psychosis may be caused by problems with specialized nerve cells

viernes, 20 de marzo de 2020

Psychosis may be caused by problems with specialized nerve cells

	Psychiatry
	The latest psychiatry news from News Medical

Psychosis may be caused by problems with specialized nerve cells

A new Japanese study in mice published in the journal Nature indicates that the cause of the profound mental disturbance termed psychosis could be due to defects in the functioning of specialized nerve cells deep inside the brain, and due to some types of learning behavior. This could help understand how delusions arise in psychosis or schizophrenia, and eventually to develop therapies for these conditions.

			Obese children more prone to anxiety, depression and shortening of life Two studies published in the journals PLOS Medicine and BMC Medicine in March 2020 show that obesity in childhood is linked to a higher risk of future anxiety, depression, and death in early adult life compared to children in the general population. This could shape efforts to detect specific risk factors that predispose children to obesity and thus prevent it.

			Child’s scent tells mom how development is proceeding Mothers do know best – or at least their noses do, according to a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology in March 2020. Of course, mothers and others love smelling the sweet smell of a healthy, clean baby. However, more than just the pleasure of that body smell, complex nose-brain interactions seem to be telling mothers more about what stage of development the child is at, according to these researchers.

	Cannabis and Psychosis Cannabis is a plant-based drug derived from the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). Though long used as an illicit recreational drug, it is now being investigated for its medicinal properties. In 2016, over 190 million people used cannabis.

	New training program can help patients get full benefit of digital mental health tools Digital technologies, especially smartphone apps, have great promise for increasing access to care for patients with serious mental illness such as schizophrenia.

	Disengagement in retirement may increase risk of cognitive decline Certain middle-aged and older adults, especially women who tend to disengage from difficult tasks and goals after they retire, may be at greater risk of cognitive decline as they age, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

	Evaluating the Role of the Orexinergic System in an Animal Model of PTSD A group has investigated the role of the regulatory neuropeptides, orexins (ORXs) in stress-related disorders.

	Suicidal ideation seen in 8 percent of kids says study According to an alarming new report from the American researchers, 8.4 percent of the children aged between 9 and 10 years are temporarily or regularly thinking about suicide or considering and planning suicide. This study that included 7,994 children was titled, "Risk and protective factors for childhood suicidality: A US population-based study" and was published in the latest issue of The Lancet Psychiatry journal.