Department of Psychiatry
Depression and the brain-age gap
Oct. 19, 2020—Older depressed adults show accelerated brain aging, according to a new study from Vanderbilt researchers, who suggest that the effects of depression may speed the decline in cognitive functions in older individuals.
Pinpointing brain changes in psychosis
Oct. 1, 2020—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.
A connection to schizophrenia
Jun. 23, 2020—The insula, a small region of the brain involved in diverse brain functions had widespread dysconnectivity in schizophrenia, Vanderbilt researchers found.
Study finds ‘frozen’ fear response may underlie PTSD
Nov. 27, 2019—To explore how fear becomes entrenched, VUMC researchers traveled down the precise neuronal pathways in the brains of mice that trigger fear responses, and which normally extinguish the behaviors once the danger has passed.
Relational memory in early psychosis
Sep. 10, 2019—Studies of relational memory function may reveal novel mechanisms for therapeutic intervention for patients in the early stages of psychosis.
Defective transporter linked to autism
Jul. 24, 2019—A first-of-its-kind mouse model may help reveal mechanistic underpinnings for the altered behaviors of autism spectrum disorder.
Working memory in psychotic disorders
Jul. 11, 2019—Functional MRI studies have revealed that targeting activation of certain brain regions may improve working memory and cognition in psychotic disorders.
Early detection of schizophrenia
Jun. 24, 2019—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.
Brain aging occurs at accelerated rate in patients with psychosis
Mar. 7, 2019—Normal brain aging patterns in patients with a psychotic disorder occur at an accelerated rate, impacting the patient’s cognitive functioning and suggesting treatment intervention in the early psychosis period may improve long-term outcomes.
Reversing stress-related anxiety
Feb. 14, 2019—Inhibiting COX-2 — an enzyme associated with inflammation — could provide a novel therapeutic approach for stress-related psychiatric disorders.
Nicotine patch shows promise in treating late-life depression
Sep. 6, 2018—A Vanderbilt University Medical Center pilot study of treating late-life depression in nonsmokers with transdermal nicotine (nicotine patch) has yielded some promising results, but the study’s author cautions that more study is needed.
Shaping reward circuits
May. 18, 2018—Using techniques to control and monitor the activities of individual neurons, Vanderbilt investigators are probing the brain’s reward circuitry.