Vanderbilt psychiatrists are probing brain circuit hyperactivity implicated in schizophrenia, with the idea that normalizing the hyperactivity may improve cognitive processes.

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.

Specific regions of the thalamus — a central brain region — are smaller in adults with psychotic disorders and youth at risk for psychotic disorders and are associated with cognitive impairment.

Studies of relational memory function may reveal novel mechanisms for therapeutic intervention for patients in the early stages of psychosis.

Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital has opened a new inpatient unit focused primarily on patients in the early stage of a psychotic disorder and on patients who need the most comprehensive diagnostic clarity and close monitoring.

Functional MRI studies have revealed that targeting activation of certain brain regions may improve working memory and cognition in psychotic disorders.

Inhibited temperament — a tendency to respond to novelty with wariness, fear or caution — may be a risk factor for schizophrenia that could be targeted for preventative interventions.