NIMH Archives
Genetics and chronic pain
Apr. 20, 2023—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.
Sex counts in the brain as seasons change
Mar. 2, 2023—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.
Early effects of Huntington disease
Jan. 6, 2023—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.
Researchers develop framework for multiancestry genomic studies
Dec. 8, 2022—Vanderbilt researchers have developed a framework for the analysis of multiancestry, large-scale genomic studies across multiple biobanks.
Suicide notes
Nov. 21, 2022—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.
Study describes how E. coli co-opts cells, causes recurrent UTIs
Aug. 25, 2022—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.
A speedier treatment for depression?
Jul. 11, 2022—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.
White matter and psychosis
Jan. 27, 2022—The microstructure of white matter in the brain could be an important risk marker for psychosis, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.
Neurotransmitter transporters expert Amara set for Oct. 7 Discovery Lecture
Sep. 29, 2021—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.
Brain circuits in schizophrenia
Sep. 20, 2021—Vanderbilt psychiatrists are probing brain circuit hyperactivity implicated in schizophrenia, with the idea that normalizing the hyperactivity may improve cognitive processes.
Medical diagnoses in musicians
Sep. 6, 2021—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.”
White matter and schizophrenia
Sep. 2, 2021—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.
