Psychiatry

Is the sense of touch perceived differently in people without autism? Read More

In what could be a way to predict which children might be vulnerable to anxiety disorders, a Vanderbilt study has shown that an altered prefrontal cortex function in the brain marks a heightened anxiety risk in children. Read More

Wednesday is clinic day for Vanderbilt psychiatrist Sheryl Fleisch, M.D. The day is packed with patients, many with multiple physical and mental issues. Fleisch is dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved Vanderbilt T-shirt and a fleece jacket. She wears hiking shoes and carries a heavy backpack. There’s no white coat. No… Read More

Psychiatrists usually treat marriage troubles by prescribing drugs meant for depression, a new study from Vanderbilt University shows. Read More

An inability to recognize faces may be an important mechanism underlying social inhibition and may contribute to, or maintain, social anxiety. Read More

Harsh Trivedi, M.D., MBA, associate professor of Psychiatry, vice chair for Clinical Affairs for Vanderbilt’s Department of Psychiatry, and executive director and chief medical officer of Vanderbilt Behavioral Health, has been named CEO of Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital. He will remain administrative director for Vanderbilt Behavioral Health. Read More

(iStockphoto) Vanderbilt psychiatrist Judith Akin, M.D., who frequently counsels people who are having a hard time through the holidays, has a quick guideline: set a course “between Hallmark and heartache” and aim to have a “pretty good little Christmas.” In other words, she says,… Read More

Vanderbilt University scientists are a step closer to understanding how inflammation in the body can affect mood and behavior. Read More

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has received a $9.4 million grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to test the effectiveness of a transdermal nicotine patch in improving memory loss in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. Read More

Treating depressed individuals and figuring out who will and won’t respond to antidepressants is mostly trial and error — much to the frustration of patients and the health care providers who treat them. Read More

Many women who receive chemotherapy for breast cancer report problems with their thinking, memory and attention after treatment. Read More

Catatonia, a syndrome characterized by muscular rigidity and a trance-like mental stupor, can at times manifest with great excitement and confusion. And while it is often associated with schizophrenia, it can present in patients with either medical or psychiatric conditions. For this reason, the condition has often confused clinicians. Read More

An extensive new study by two Vanderbilt University researchers challenges common assumptions about gun violence and mental illness that often emerge in the aftermath of mass shootings. Read More

Harsh Trivedi, M.D., MBA, associate professor of Psychiatry, vice chair for Clinical Affairs for Vanderbilt’s Department of Psychiatry, and executive director and chief medical officer of Vanderbilt Behavioral Health, has been selected to serve on the American Hospital Association’s Governing Council on Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Services. Read More

Stephan Heckers, M.D., M.Sc., William P. and Henry B. Test Professor of Schizophrenia Research and chair of the Department of Psychiatry, has been named the next editor-in-chief of JAMA Psychiatry, one of nine specialty journals in the JAMA Network. Read More

A retrospective analysis of Tennessee physicians who underwent fitness-for-duty evaluations by Vanderbilt found an “astoundingly” high rate of suicide among physicians who were found unfit to practice, were in solo practice, or if they were taking anti-anxiety drugs. Read More

Judith Akin, M.D. During the holidays, the goal should be to set the course somewhere “between Hallmark and heartache,” a Vanderbilt psychiatrist says. In other words, don’t strive for the perfect (you won’t achieve it), and recognize and deal head-on with some of the stressors of the… Read More

Even relatively low levels of in utero alcohol exposure impact fetal brain development, and the effects last into adulthood, study finds. Read More

A combination of biomarkers may reveal new clues about causes of and potential interventions for autism. Read More

An interdisciplinary team of scientists have successfully tagged a protein that regulates the neurotransmitter serotonin with tiny fluorescent beads, allowing them to track the movements of individual molecules for the first time. This capability makes it possible to study the manner in which serotonin regulates mood, appetite and sleep at a new level of detail. Read More