NIMH

April 20, 2023

Genetics and chronic pain

Polygenic risk scores — scores that reflect the influence of common genetic variants — could be used to predict the likelihood of developing chronic overlapping pain conditions and guide biomarker and targeted prevention efforts.

By Bill Snyder
March 2, 2023

Sex counts in the brain as seasons change

Photoperiod, or length of day, has sex-specific impacts on dopamine dynamics in the brain, offering insights into sex differences in neuropsychiatric disorders, Vanderbilt researchers report.

By Paul Govern
January 6, 2023

Early effects of Huntington disease

Impairments in brain executive function happen earlier than motor symptoms in people with the gene mutation that causes Huntington disease, suggesting younger ages and cognitive symptoms be considered for any future clinical trials.

By Kelsey Pinckard
November 21, 2022

Suicide notes

Natural language processing of notes in electronic health records can identify suicidal behavior and could be used to directly improve real-time risk prediction algorithms.

By Paul Govern
Maria Hadjifrangiskou, PhD, Connor Beebout, PhD, and colleagues are studying why the bacterium E. coli is so tenacious.
August 25, 2022

Study describes how E. coli co-opts cells, causes recurrent UTIs

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have discovered why the uropathogenic bacterium E. coli, the leading cause of urinary tract infections, is so tenacious; their findings could lead to new ways to prevent recurrent UTIs.

By Bill Snyder
July 11, 2022

A speedier treatment for depression?

Vanderbilt researchers used a computer-based search to identify a compound with promise as a new, mechanistically distinct and rapid-acting therapy for major depressive disorder.

By Paul Govern
January 27, 2022

White matter and psychosis

The microstructure of white matter in the brain could be an important risk marker for psychosis, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.
By Emily Stembridge
September 29, 2021

Neurotransmitter transporters expert Amara set for Oct. 7 Discovery Lecture

Susan Amara, PhD, scientific director of the Intramural Research Program at the NIMH and an expert on the biology of neurotransmitter transporters, will deliver Vanderbilt's next Discovery Lecture via Zoom at 4 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 7.
By Bill Snyder
September 20, 2021

Brain circuits in schizophrenia

Vanderbilt psychiatrists are probing brain circuit hyperactivity implicated in schizophrenia, with the idea that normalizing the hyperactivity may improve cognitive processes.
By Leigh MacMillan
September 6, 2021

Medical diagnoses in musicians

Vanderbilt researchers mined electronic health records to find medical diagnoses that are more or less prevalent among musicians, who are present in large numbers in “Music City.”
By Leigh MacMillan
September 2, 2021

White matter and schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia have functional changes in the white matter of the brain, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered, which may contribute to impaired working memory and processing speed.
By Emily Stembridge
August 23, 2021

Estrogen, depression and menopause

A shift in emotional processing may help women adapt to lower estrogen after menopause —unless they have a history of major depressive disorder, Vanderbilt researchers have found.
By Emily Stembridge
August 5, 2021

NIMH support bolsters early psychosis research efforts

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences has received an additional $4 million from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to study the evolution of hippocampal dysfunction in the early stage of psychosis.
By Emily Stembridge
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