This Week on NeuroScientistNews: 26 January – 30 January
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Profile of neurogeneticist, Niamh O’Sullivan; a link between brain inflammation and depression; autism-risk genes and more.
♦ Niamh O’Sullivan PhD, Neurogeneticist
In our latest profile article on neurogeneticist, Niamh O'Sullivan PhD, O’Sullivan shares how she came to establish her lab in the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science at University College Dublin and sage advice for scholars from undergrads to postdocs.
♦ New biological evidence reveals link between brain inflammation and major depression
A new study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health found that the measure of brain inflammation in people who were experiencing clinical depression was increased by 30 per cent. The findings, published in JAMA Psychiatry, have important implications for developing new treatments for depression.
♦ Testosterone helps to bind antidepressants in the brain
Female sex hormones have a strong effect on the psyche. This has been confirmed by numerous scientific studies and by phenomena such as the "baby blues," a bout of low mood following childbirth, or recurrent mood swings that occur prior to menstruation. However the male sex hormone testosterone also affects our mood and emotions, as well as our libido -- and in a positive way. In a study published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, researchers from the MedUni Vienna have now discovered a potential biological mechanism behind this relationship.
♦ Largest-ever autism genome study finds most siblings have different autism-risk genes
The largest-ever autism genome study, funded by Autism Speaks, reveals that the disorder's genetic underpinnings are even more complex than previously thought: Most siblings who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have different autism-linked genes.
♦ Are medications' adverse cognitive effects reversible?
In a commentary in JAMA Internal Medicine, Noll Campbell, Pharm.D., and Malaz Boustani, M.D., MPH, of the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University (IU) Center for Aging Research, probe the possibility of reversing the adverse cognitive effects of medications frequently prescribed to older adults for chronic conditions including depression, anxiety and incontinence and sold over the counter as allergy and sleep aids.
