Department of Psychiatry Archives
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.
Bladder pain syndrome no laughing matter for comedian
May. 17, 2018—Local comedian Ashley Corby, 35, overshares with her audience as part of her standup routine, including a 5-minute bit about “shady” rest areas she has visited due to interstitial cystitis (IC), a bladder pain syndrome affecting 3 million to 8 million people in the United States.
Brain connections in schizophrenia
Mar. 9, 2018—Brain imaging studies have implicated the connection between two brain regions in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
Gift supports addiction medicine training program
Feb. 8, 2018—The 2016 Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health, “Facing Addiction in America,” leaves little question about the growing problem of addiction.
Study seeks to aid diagnosis, management of catatonia
Dec. 7, 2017—Catatonia, a syndrome of motor, emotional and behavioral abnormalities frequently characterized by muscular rigidity and a trance-like mental stupor and at times manifesting with great excitement or agitation, can occur during a critical illness and appear similar to delirium. But the management strategies are vastly different.
Celebration honors 11 new endowed chair holders
Dec. 5, 2017—Eleven Vanderbilt University faculty members named to endowed chairs were recognized for their outstanding scholarship and research during a celebration at the Student Life Center Nov. 29.
Gender, pain and dementia
Oct. 16, 2017—Understanding sex differences in pain perception could lead to more targeted and effective pain assessment and management strategies in older adults with Alzheimer’s disease.
Pain and Alzheimer’s disease
Sep. 5, 2017—Clinicians should use a structured interview in people with Alzheimer’s disease to identify pain that might be otherwise overlooked.
Regulating anxiety in the brain
Apr. 28, 2017—Two brain signaling pathways have overlapping functions in regulating anxiety, suggesting that therapeutics aimed at one or the other will impact both.
Vanderbilt study finds natural chemical helps brain adapt to stress
Mar. 28, 2017—A natural signaling molecule that activates cannabinoid receptors in the brain plays a critical role in stress-resilience — the ability to adapt to repeated and acute exposures to traumatic stress, according to researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Clues found to recurrent depression
Mar. 2, 2017—Women who have had repeated depressive episodes tend to pay more attention to negative emotional information, suggesting that they may benefit from cognitive therapy to build new, more positive pathways in their brains.